Efficacy Of Cognitive Restructuring And Behavioural Rehearsal On Conduct Disorder In Adolescents In Special Correctional Centres In Lagos State

ABSTRACT The work efficacy of Cognitive Restructuring and Behavioural Rehearsal on Conduct Disorder in Adolescents in Special Correctional Centres in Lagos State is concerned with adolescence which is the third phase of human development. This is characterized by stress and storm. Unresolved identity crisis coupled with some factors such as parenting styles, socio-economic status, religion, and peer pressure lead to conduct disorder. The rate of conduct disorder in adolescents is on the increase in the form of truancy, deceitfulness, theft, rule violations, rape, aggression or threats to others. These are becoming rampant and if nothing is done, there would be difficulty in having a healthy future for both individuals and the nation at large. The study adopts an experimental research with 3 x 2 x 3 x 3 factorial design. The variables in the study include the independent variables, which consist of cognitive restructuring, behavioural rehearsal and control group. The intervening variables are gender, socio-economic status and parenting styles while the dependent variable is conduct disorder. A sample size of 90 adolescents is purposively selected. Participants are randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The three instruments relevant to this study are: Conduct Disorder Scale, Socio-Economic Scale and Parenting Styles Scale. Eight research hypotheses are raised and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The procedure for data collection include the pre and post tests administered to the participants. Participants are exposed to intervention sessions twice a week for the period of eight weeks. Data collected from the study are analyzed using both the descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The study reveals the order of prominence of subscales of conduct disorder to be deceitfulness and or theft, aggression, hostility and rule violation. The prevalent paternal and maternal parenting styles that is prominent is the authoritative parenting style, the prevalent parental socio-economic status is the medium. A significant difference exists in the pre-test and post-test. The results from the tested hypotheses are: There is no significant difference in the order of prominence in conduct disorder of the followings: prevalence of paternal and maternal parenting styles, cognitive restructuring and behavioural rehearsal and cognitive restructuring and behavioural rehearsal on the basis of gender and parental SES. Others include parenting styles, age, educational level, and length of stay at the correctional centres. There is a significant difference in the followings: degree of severity of conduct disorder before and after treatment, treatment of conduct disorder of participants in the two experimental groups when compared with the control group and cognitive restructuring and behavioural rehearsal on the basis of religion. Recommendations are proffered in the study. Keywords: Cognitive Restructuring, Behavioural Rehearsal, Conduct Disorder, Adolescent, Parenting Style, Socio-Economic Status.