INFLUENCE OF INSECURITY AND NON-SCHOOLING ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN NORTH EAST OF NIGERIA: COUNSELLING IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

The study examined the influence of insecurity and non-schooling on abuse of substance among adolescents in Nigeria North-East. The study espoused descriptive survey design, three research questions were responded and three hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The area of study was Yobe and Borno States. Three hundred adolescents were selected using purposive sampling technique; they are adolescents not in school from Yobe and Borno States. Data were collected with the research instrument tagged “Influence of Insecurity and non-schooling on Adolescent Substance Abuse” (IINSOASA). The reliability was proven using Cronbach Alpha and it generated a consensus coefficient of 0.82, 0.78. Descriptive statistics were used to answer Research Questions and Multiple Regression and t-test statistical tools were used to trial the formulated hypotheses. The findings discovered that insecurity significantly influenced substance abuse among the adolescent, non-schooling significantly influenced substance abuse and established gender difference in abuse of substance amid adolescents of North East Nigeria. Recommendations made include that all stake holders should come together to fight insurgency and any form of insecurity to ensure security of Nigerians, government should make schools available in affected areas and adolescents should be enlightened on the vices of use of substance.