GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PREVALENCE AND PATTERN OF CONDUCT DISORDER AMONG ADOLESCENT SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

Background: Conduct Problems are common among Adolescents. They may lead to risky behaviors later in life. This study sets out to assess the gender differences in prevalence and pattern of conduct disorders among secondary school students in Orlu Imo State, South East, Nigeria. Method: A school based descriptive cross sectional survey of 402 students in selected public and private schools in Orlu Imo state. Results: 69.7% of the respondents had committed at least one form of antisocial behavior. Males had higher prevalence of antisocial behaviour compared to their female counterparts (χ2=10.71, df=1, p=0.001). The most prevalent antisocial behaviour in both genders was stealing. Differences in causal factors among the genders was significant, (χ2=9.54, df=4, p=0.002). More males, (93.8%), agreed on the presence of regulations against antisocial behaviours in their schools compared to their female counterparts (χ2=5.61, df=1, p=0.017). Commonest forms of penalty for offenders were suspension for males and flogging for females (χ2=56.80, df=2, p=0.000). Conclusion: Identifying factors associated with Adolescent Risk Behaviour is critical for developing effective preventive strategies. Early intervention will minimize the risk of progression to more serious criminal behavior later in life.