Abstract

Positive behaviours such as pro-social behaviour could contribute to a peaceful society. Pro-social behaviour, especially among in-school adolescents, appears to be declining. It is in this light that this study examined socio-demographic factors and pro-social behaviour among secondary school students in Akinyele Local Government Area in Ibadan. The evolutionary theory of pro-social behaviour served as the framework for this study. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. Two hundred and ninety-eight participants were randomly selected from two selected secondary schools in Akinyele LGA. The mean age of participants was 16.6 years. SD= 1.9 Data were collected using an 89-item structured questionnaire with four scales: demographic variables. Hypotheses were tested using a T-test for independent samples and multiple regression. The result showed that age had an independent influence on pro-social behaviour (β = -.12; -1.99; P<.05). In addition, using a t-test for an independent sample for gender differences, the result revealed that gender has a significant influence on pro-social behaviour among secondary school students in Akinyele LGA [t (296) = 2.19; P<.05]. However, female students reported higher pro-social behaviour (mean = 68.52; SD = 16.91) than their male counterparts (mean = 64.56; SD = 14.16). Lastly, it is also shown that there is no significant family structure difference in pro-social behaviour among students [t (296) = 1.69; P >.05]. This study concluded that age and gender are pertinent in determining variations in pro-social behaviour among Secondary school students in the Akinyele Local Government Area. Secondary schools should allow their students (especially males) to work collaboratively in small groups and participate in activities designed to promote the benefits and importance of pro-social behaviour, and this will go a long way toward boosting social understanding among them. Effective cognitive-behavioral therapy and family therapy could also be implemented to increase pro-sociality in students with severe antisocial behaviour.