Influence of Child Abuse on Aggressive Behaviour Among Secondary School Adolescents in Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the influence of child abuse on aggressive behaviour among secondary school adolescents in Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The study adopted a cross sectional survey design and focused on senior secondary school students in Government Secondary School, Kofar Hausa, Keffi. A total of 235 participants made up of both male and female students were selected using proportionate random sampling. Data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Aggression Scale. The findings revealed that exposure to different forms of child abuse significantly predicts aggressive behaviour among adolescents in Keffi [R = .556, R² = .310, F(5,229) = 20.543, p < .001]. Specifically, physical abuse (β = .445, p < .01), emotional neglect (β = .177, p < .01), and emotional abuse (β = .163, p < .01) had significant positive influence on aggressive behaviour. However, physical neglect (β = .074, p > .05) and sexual abuse (β = .050, p > .05) did not show significant influence. The study concluded that child abuse increases the likelihood of aggressive behaviour among adolescents. Based on this, it was recommended that government and child protection agencies should strengthen laws, improve reporting systems, and create more awareness to prevent child abuse and reduce aggressive behaviour among young people.