…How to curb cultism, exam malpractices
By Suleiman Tajudeen
CITIZENS COMPASS— Deviant behaviour among secondary school students in Nigeria has evolved from minor truancy and disobedience to a major public health menace involving substance abuse, cultism, sexual deviance, examination malpractice, and internet fraud. This article defines deviant behaviour, outlines its common forms, causes, and health implications physical, mental, reproductive, infectious, social, and mortality, and presents the three levels of prevention and management for public health students. With prevalence of alcohol tasting at 40%, cannabis use at 20%, tramadol abuse at 15%, bullying at 85%, teenage childbearing at 19%, and examination malpractice at 31%, the burden is alarming and largely preventable. The article calls on public health, nursing, and community health practitioners to adopt school health programmes, guidance and counselling, life skills education, and youth-friendly services to save Nigeria’s adolescent population.
Deviant behaviour is any behaviour that violates social norms, values, school rules, cultural values, and laws, attracting disapproval or punishment. Among secondary school students aged 10-19 years (JSS1-SSS3), it includes truancy, indecent dressing, disrespect, lying, tattooing, and piercing. When it violates the law, it becomes juvenile delinquency – e.g., stealing, cultism, rape, drug trafficking, examination malpractice, and ritual killing.
In Nigeria, deviant behaviour is now described as a ‘menace’ because it has become violent and health-threatening. Unlike in the pre-1960s era of strong traditional and community control, today’s patterns include cult killings in secondary schools, tramadol and codeine-induced psychosis, Yahoo Plus ritual killing, teenage pregnancy with fistula and death, HIV/STIs, and suicide from bullying and sexting.
Social Learning Theory (Bandura) explains that deviant behaviour is learned from peers, parents, and media, and therefore can be unlearned through Behaviour Change Communication (BCC).
Deviant behaviours are grouped into six:
Substance-related: Tramadol (200-500mg), codeine syrup, cannabis (Igbo, Loud, Colorado), shisha, vape, alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamine (Mkpuru mmiri).
Cultism & violence: Junior cults (Axe, Eiye, Vikings), bullying, fighting, stabbing, cyberbullying.
Sexual Deviance: Premarital and transactional sex, sugar daddy/mummy, sexting, pornography, teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion.
Academic deviance: Examination malpractice, truancy, miracle centres, phone use in examination halls.
Internet & Financial Deviance: Yahoo Yahoo, Yahoo Plus, sports betting, dangerous TikTok challenges.
Appearance & others: Indecent dressing, tattoo, piercings, vandalism, stealing.
Causes
…To be continued
Dr. Suleiman Tajudeen is Director, Clinical Psychology, LUTH (Retired) & CEO, Clear Mind Psychological Consult, Ojo, Lagos State. +234 803 402 4457
