Psycho-Social Factors as Correlate of Childhood Adversity among in-School Adolescents in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract This study investigated psycho-social factors as correlates of childhood adversity among inschool adolescents in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Two research questions guided the study and two corresponding null hypotheses were formulated and tested. A correlational research design was adopted. The sample size comprised 200 inschool adolescents drawn from selected secondary schools in Makurdi Local Government Area, while the sample size was determined using the Research Advisor Table. A multi-stage sampling technique (stratified, proportional, and simple random sampling) was used to select participants. Data were collected using two researcher-developed instruments: the Psycho-Social Factors Questionnaire (PSFQ) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The instruments were validated by three experts, and reliability was established through a trial test conducted outside the study area using Cronbach’s alpha, which yielded coefficients of 0.72, 0.70, and 0.71.Data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) to answer the research questions, while linear regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a strong correlate relationship between parental support and childhood adversity and between self-esteem and childhood adversity. Regression results also showed that parental support significantly correlate childhood adversity and self-esteem significantly correlate childhood adversity. The study concluded that psycho-social factors, particularly parental support and self-esteem are significantly related to childhood adversity among in-school adolescents in Makurdi Local Government Area. It was recommended that government and school management should strengthen functional counselling units in schools and implement regular programmes that build students’ confidence, coping skills, communication skills and problem-solving abilities.