Effects of Mentoring and Cognitive Restructuring on Aggression among Selected Secondary School Students in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the effectiveness of Mentoring and Cognitive Restructuring in the modification of adolescent aggression among selected Senior Secondary School students in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study utilised survey research design to obtain the baseline data while the second phase was a Quasi-experimental pre-test post-test control group design. It was hypothesized that there would no significant difference in post treatment aggression between adolescent students treated with Cognitive Restructuring and those exposed to Mentoring. Through multistage sampling technique, a total of 420 adolescents were drawn from six senior secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria and they provided baseline data for the study. However, the final sample consisted of 94 (47 male and 47 female) adolescents identified as aggressive. Buss and Perry (1992) Aggression Questionnaire, Rathus (1973) Assertiveness Schedule and Mynard and Joseph (2000) Multidimensional Peer Victimisation Scale were adapted by the researcher and used to collect the relevant data which were analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) technique.  The findings revealed that Mentoring was more efficacious than Cognitive Restructuring in the modification of aggressiveness in adolescent students. These findings were situated within the existing body of knowledge and their implications for Counselling Education were discussed.

Keywords: Mentoring, Cognitive Restructuring, Aggression