Psychoeducational Programs as Correlates of Social Adjustment of Residents at a Correctional Youth Center in Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the psychoeducational programmes and activities such as school attendance vocational training, religious activities as correlate of social adjustment of wards at a the Borstal Youth Development correctional facility at, Abeokuta, Nigeria.. It adopted the descriptive research design of ex-post facto. The sample consisted of the entire population of 201 wards in the Borstal Home. Data were collected through questionnaire titled “Social Welfare Programmes and Social Adjustment Scale (SWPASAS). Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Regression Analysis

Findings showed that there was significant relationship between the Educational Programmes of the home and Social adjustment of wards (r = .706, N = 201, P <.05). The findings also revealed that there was significant relationship between the Vocational programmes of the home and social adjustment of wards (r = .665, N = 201, P < .05). The result of the third hypothesis showed that there is relationship between Religious programmes of the home and social adjustment of wards (r = .702, N = 201, P <.05). The fourth hypotheses showed an existing relationship between social programmes of the home and social adjustment of wards (F(3,197) = 101.065; R = .779, R2 = .606, Adj. R2 = 0.600; P <. 05).

The study established that the psychoeducational programmes of the home aids social adjustment of wards in the home. It is therefore recommended that effective communication should be adopted at the home; this tends to increase behavioural modification of the wards since bad communication deteriorates the social and psychological state of the wards thereby increasing deviance behavior. To improve the quality of lives, it is also recommended that the government should employ the service of professional social workers to facilitate adequate services to the wards.

Key words: Youth,  Psychoeducational, Social Adjustment, delinquency, wards