INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY-BASED RISK MARKERS OF ADOLESCENT GANG INVOLVEMENT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Adebunmi O. Oyekola, Oluwabunmi K. Balogun, Idris Olatunbosun

Abstract


Gang involvement among adolescents constitutes a significant public health concern because of its association with violence, substance use, delinquency, psychological distress, and long-term social maladjustment, with implications for both school and community safety. Despite growing concern regarding youth violence in Nigeria, empirical evidence examining the individual and family-related predictors of adolescent gang involvement within urban school settings remains limited. Grounded in Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, this study examined the psychosocial and familial correlates of gang involvement among in-school adolescents in Lagos State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted using a multistage random sampling procedure. Four hundred questionnaires were administered to adolescents selected from five secondary schools in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State, of which 389 were properly completed and included in the final analysis. Participants completed validated self-report measures assessing childhood maltreatment, delinquent behaviour, drug and alcohol use, parenting styles, and exposure and attitudes toward gang-related behaviour. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, cross-tabulation, and binary logistic regression. Findings revealed that all three individual risk markers significantly predicted gang involvement: childhood maltreatment (OR = 1.185, p = .003), delinquent behaviour (OR = 1.130, p < .001), and drug and alcohol use (OR = 1.052, p = .010). Delinquent behaviour demonstrated the strongest statistical contribution to gang involvement (Wald = 25.436). Among family-related variables, permissive parenting style emerged as the only significant predictor of gang involvement (OR = 1.079, p = .004). The findings highlight the central role of behavioural risk patterns and family dynamics in adolescents’ vulnerability to gang affiliation. The study emphasizes the need for integrated school, family, and community-based prevention strategies, including early behavioural interventions, parenting support programmes, and targeted counselling services for at-risk adolescents within urban Nigerian contexts.

Keywords


adolescent gang involvement, childhood maltreatment, delinquent behaviour, parenting styles, drug and alcohol use, Nigeria

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v10i1.2254

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