Pervasiveness of Conduct Disorder in Special Correctional Centres in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Conduct disorder is a type of maladjusted behaviour characterized by a consistent pattern of harming others or their property, or breaking major accepted rules or standards of behaviour. This study examined the prevalence of conduct disorder among purposefully selected 90 adolescents resident in two correctional centres in Lagos State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was employed for the study because it guaranteed an accurate portrayal or account of the sample for the study. Gilliam (2002) Conduct Disorder Scale (CDS) was used to generate data. The items in the scale depict the specific diagnostic behaviours that are characteristic of persons with Conduct Disorder. The overall reliability coefficient for the scale is 0.96. Two research questions and one research hypothesis were raised to give direction to the study and descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were employed for data analysis. Results of data analysis showed that in order of prominence female participants exhibited more deceitfulness and theft than the male participants. Similarly, unlike their male counterpart more females reported moderate and severe cases of conduct disorder. Further analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in the order of prominence of conduct disorder. The existence of conduct disorder in Correctional Centres is, therefore, not a figment of imagination but a reality. Consequently, efforts should be geared towards the development and implementation of preventive and remediative techniques by psychologists, counsellors, and other professionals in allied fields.