Psychological Reactance, Community Disorganisation, Perceived Injustice, Self-Control, and Exposure to Violent Media as Predictors of Delinquent Behaviour among Adolescents in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined psychological reactance, community disorganisation, perceived injustice, self-control, and exposure to violent media as predictors of delinquent behaviour among adolescents in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A total of 298 adolescents were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Standardised instruments were used for data collection, while data were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that psychological reactance (r = 0.66), community disorganisation (r = 0.62), perceived injustice (r = 0.64), and exposure to violent media (r = 0.67) had significant positive relationships with delinquent behaviour, while self-control showed a significant negative relationship (r = -0.69). The independent variables jointly accounted for 66% of the variance in delinquent behaviour (R² = 0.66). Relative contribution analysis showed that self-control was the strongest negative predictor, while exposure to violent media was the strongest positive predictor. The study concluded that delinquent behaviour among adolescents is influenced by cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors. It was recommended that interventions should focus on strengthening self-control, reducing community disorganisation, and regulating adolescents’ exposure to violent media.