CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Truancy is defined as any purposeful and illegal absence from obligatory school. Truancy primarily refers to absence induced by pupils of their own free will, and does not include legally excused absences, such as those linked to medical reasons. Truancy is a phrase that refers to an absence that is connected with the most daring pupils' recklessness and has the most serious effects. It also includes pupils who go to school but do not attend courses. Atkinson, Hasley, Wilkin, and Kindler (2000) identified disparities in the duration of absenteeism, ranging from avoiding a single session to missing several weeks. Truancy refers to young people's absence from school and delinquent behavior as they navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood in an increasingly complicated and perplexing environment (Henry, 2007). Although truancy has been a problem for centuries, it appears that truancy in the past cannot be compared to that of the present. To name a few, antisocial behaviors related with truancy include vandalism, drug abuse, weapon carrying, alcohol abuse, rape, examination malpractices, school violence, bullying, cultism, delinquency, and school drop-outs. Clearly, until anything is done to stem the tide of truancy, the hope of a better, safer, and more affluent Nigeria will remain unattainable.

Human society is built on the foundation of the family. Families are the most powerful socializing factors in life. They educate youngsters to avoid inappropriate behavior, to postpone satisfaction, and to respect the rights of others. Families, on the other hand, can teach their children hostile, anti-social, and violent behaviors. Children who are rejected by their parents, grow up in families with much conflict, or are insufficiently monitored are also at a higher risk of being truant.

According to sociology of education, the family is the first important social group that a kid belongs to and comes into contact with, and this group has a bigger impact on the child's physical, mental, and moral development. The family establishes the basis of education before the kid enters school, and the home/family influences the personality that the child brings to school (Maduewesi and Emenogu, 1997). Adolescence is a time of growing vulnerabilities and opportunities that come with more social and geographical exposure to life outside of school or home, but it all begins with the family. The principles and ideas that were regarded to represent the essential beliefs and ideals of our society have altered and outgrown the current civilization.

Despite mounting evidence that school truancy and absenteeism have piqued the interest of international educational researchers and policymakers over the last two decades (Reid'2010; Daziel and Henthome 2005; Roth-man 2004; Morris and Rutt 2004), this behavior continues to be a major concern for schools and communities worldwide. Researchers appear to agree that school truancy may have substantial, immediate, and far-reaching repercussions for adolescents, families, schools, and communities at large. According to Jesse (2014), truancy is a gateway offense since the vast majority of adult offenders say their first appearance before a court was as a juvenile on truancy charges. This degree of worry over truancy has naturally led in major efforts by researchers, practitioners, schools, and policymakers to identify and solve this growing problem (Maynard et al. 2013). However, much of the existing research focuses primarily on the school and community-related variables that contribute to truancy, with little emphasis provided to the role of the learners' home-based conditions in contributing to school truancy and non-attendance (Maynard et al. 2012). This study aims to investigate family-related characteristics and conditions that may contribute to the prevalence of school absence among students, which may be one of numerous risk factors for major diseases later in life.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Truancy is a concern in education, society, and law enforcement. Adolescent truancy jeopardizes their prospects of reaching their educational goals. (Siziya et al., 2007; Muula et al., 2007; Rudatsikira et al. Student absence from class is a problem that reaches well beyond the institution. It has a significant impact on students, families, and society. Truancy has been established as the most significant predictor of criminality and indiscipline among kids throughout the world. Absenteeism has a negative impact on students' achievement, promotion, graduation, self-esteem, and career prospects. Students who miss school clearly fall behind their counterparts in the classroom. As a result, students' self-esteem suffers, and their academic performance suffers, causing many to drop out of school. Truancy, in fact, jeopardizes kids' intellectual advancement; success can serve as a signal of dysfunction in many other areas of human endeavor. If the problem is not resolved, If the issue is not addressed, truancy will contribute to a slew of issues for young people throughout their school years and into life. As a result, the primary research topic of this study is to identify the reasons and levels of truancy among secondary school students in Ikeja Local Government Area, Lagos State.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to find out the influence of parental styles on the truant behaviour of secondary school students. Specifically, it sought to:

i.  Identify the causes of truant behaviour among secondary school student.

ii. Examine how parenting styles can influence truant behaviour among secondary school students.

iii. Highlight other factors apart from parenting style as determinants of truant behaviour.

iv. Determine consequences of truant behaviour on the adolescent growth and development

v.  Explain the psychological/counseling interventions to be given to truant behaviour among secondary school students.

vi. Determine the influence of truancy on academic performance among secondary school students.

1.4 Research Questions

To guide the proper conduct of this study, the following research questions were raised.

1. What are the causes of truancy among students in secondary school?

2. How does parenting style can influence truant behaviour among secondary school students?

3. What are the other factors apart from parenting style as determinants to truant behaviour?

4. What are the consequences of truant behaviour on the adolescent growth and development?

5. What are the psychological/counseling interventions to be used for truant behaviour among secondary students?

6. How does truancy affect the academic performance among secondary school students?

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