Peer Group Pressure, Self-Esteem and Bullying Behaviour among Secondary School Adolescents in Delta Central Senatorial District

Abstract

This study examined peer group pressure, self-esteem and bullying behaviour among secondary school adolescents in Delta Central Senatorial District, Delta State. Three research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. A correlational research design was adopted. The population comprised 45,318 senior secondary school students in public schools within the district. Using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample-size determination table, 380 students were selected through multistage sampling. Data were collected using the Peer Group Pressure, Self-Esteem and Bullying Behaviour Questionnaire (PGPSEBBQ), validated by experts in Guidance and Counselling and Measurement and Evaluation. A pilot test involving 50 students produced Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.81, 0.72 and 0.76 for peer group pressure, self-esteem and bullying behaviour respectively, with an overall coefficient of 0.81. Mean and standard deviation answered research question one, Pearson correlation answered questions two and three, while linear regression tested the hypotheses at the 0.05 significance level. Findings showed high peer group pressure and self-esteem, but very high bullying behaviour. Peer group pressure explained 51.0% of the variation in bullying behaviour, while self-esteem explained 28.1%. Both relationships were significant. The study recommended counselling, firm anti-bullying policies and stronger parent-school collaboration.