SELF-MANAGEMENT THERAPY ON ADOLESCENTS WITH MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOURS
SELF-MANAGEMENT THERAPY ON ADOLESCENTS WITH MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOURS
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Date
2000
Authors
IKE, EKAETE
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to establish the efficacy of Self-Management therapy in
modifying maladaptive behaviours among psychologically traumatized deviant adolescents. The
study was informed partly by the fact that there is a proliferation of deviant youngsters all over
the country and their behaviours have constituted a menace to the society and partly because the
existing behaviour intervention programmes among delinquent youths in Nigeria have been
found to be ill-effective. There is the need, therefore, to develop an intervention programme in
which the deviant youths can have maximum input in their personal rehabilitation, putting their
interest first in the helping process.
A sample size of seventy four literate inmates was selected by stratified random sampling
from a population of 226 deviants in Kaduna Borstal Training Institution. The survey
questionnaire responses and archival records used revealed a sample of ten inmates as
traumatized. The 10 traumatized subjects became the sample for the second section of the study,
the self-management therapy. An A-B-A multiple single case experimental design was employed
for establishing the efficacy of self-management therapy on adolescents with maladaptive
behaviours.
The research instrument used for data collection was developed by the researcher. These
were two sets of questionnaire CLES/CABI and SELI; and the behaviour monitoring cards. All
instruments were validated by a team of experts and an adolescent advisory board. They were
also pilot tested. The questionnaires were designed to elicit the current maladaptive behaviours
of the youths, traumatic experiences they had gone through and their self-esteem level. The
behaviour monitoring cards were used for both motoric- and self-measurement of exhibition or
avoidance of target maladaptive behaviours.
The data collected with these instruments were used for drawing graphs to show
behaviour modification trends. Six null hypotheses were tested using t-test statistic to compare
the baseline behaviours with the behaviours during therapy.
The major findings of the study are as follows:
1. Self-management therapy is an efficient strategy for achieving behaviour modification
among youngsters with maladaptive behaviours. In a country like ours when children
are under parental control most of the time it becomes beneficial to the subjects of this
study to be able to make their own decision to manage their lives and actually go ahead to
do so. The greatest contribution of this study is the ability of the therapy to help the
subjects review their past and make effort at modifying their behaviour and thus manage
their lives.
2. Given conducive environment, minimum interference from the therapist, and the
confidence of the counsellor/therapist, the traumatized deviant adolescents would express
their problems earnestly. This too is an achievement of the study because the world of the
deviant is so closed that they are suspicious of helpers.
3. The deviants developed interest in therapy as the centre of rehabilitation shifted from the^
offenses they committed against their families and the society to themselves as valuable
individuals.
4. Inclusion of family mediation in the rehabilitation process of the trauma-affected deviant
youths makes therapy easier and quicker as family mediation helps in explaining painful
past and encourages forgiveness.
Since Self-management therapy appeared to be a promising technique for modification of
maladaptive behaviours among youths, it was recommended among other things, that it be
included in the training of welfare workers and school counsellors. The contribution of the
family was found to be pertinent in the process of behaviour modification and rehabilitation of
the deviant. So it was recommended that any intervention programme should work closely with
the deviants' family. The Federal Government of Nigeria should improve the Borstal Training
system. Psychological trauma rehabilitation, intervention and insulation were recommended for
inculcation into the counsellors' repertoire; and for extension to benefit students in higher
institutions. It was finally suggested that further research should manipulate Self-management
intervention among deviant girls, deviant adults and even "normal" individuals. Multiple
baseline study was also suggested for individuals who have multiple maladaptive behaviours.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D) IN GUIDANCE AND
COUNSELLING
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZAR1A
Keywords
SELF-MANAGEMENT,, THERAPY,, ADOLESCENTS,, MALADAPTIVE,, BEHAVIOURS.