Perceived Societal Effects of Deviant Behaviour among Male Students of Benue State School of Health Technology, Agasha, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Deviant behaviour among students in tertiary institutions is a public health, educational,
and social concern because it is associated with campus disorder, poor learning outcomes, violence, and
broader social instability. This study assessed the perceived societal effects of deviant behaviour among
male students of Benue State School of Health Technology, Agasha, Nigeria.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among male students in the institution. The
study population comprised 580 male students. A multistage sampling approach involving stratification by
department and simple random selection yielded a target sample of 160 respondents, of whom 128 returned
properly completed questionnaires for analysis, giving a response rate of 80.0%. Data were collected using a

self-developed structured questionnaire that was validated by three experts in Primary Health Care. Split-
half reliability testing yielded a coefficient of 0.83. Data were analysed using frequencies, percentages, rank

ordering, and 95% confidence intervals for key proportions.
Results: Most respondents were aged 26–30 years (50.0%), and all respondents identified as Christians. The
most strongly perceived societal effects of deviant behaviour were criminal behaviour in adulthood, reported
by 122 respondents (95.3%); terrorism in adulthood, reported by 110 respondents (85.9%); and death of
victims or mortality, reported by 104 respondents (81.3%). Other perceived consequences included low
national investment (73.4%), infrastructural decay (70.3%), unemployment (65.6%), and societal insecurity
(59.4%).
Conclusion: Respondents perceived deviant behaviour as extending beyond individual misconduct to
wider social, economic, public health, and security consequences. Preventive responses should therefore
combine institutional counselling, parental engagement, value-based education, and the early identification
of students at risk of persistent behavioural problems.