Relationship Between Family Structure and Behavioural Problems Among Adolescents in Calabar, Cross River State, South South Nigeria

Family structure has long been recognised as a significant contextual determinant of adolescent behavioural outcomes, and the rising prevalence of single-parent and extended family households in Nigerian urban communities underscores the importance of this research area. This study examines the relationship between family structure and behavioural problems among adolescents in Calabar, Cross River State. A cross-sectional survey is applied to 280 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years from six secondary schools in Calabar municipality, selected through stratified random sampling. The Child Behaviour Checklist and a Family Structure Questionnaire are administered alongside a sociodemographic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and post-hoc Scheffe tests are computed in SPSS to compare behavioural problem scores across family structure categories including two-parent, single-parent, and extended family households. Literature from South South Nigerian adolescent psychology identifies internalising problems such as anxiety and social withdrawal as more prevalent in single-parent households, while externalising problems including aggression and rule-breaking are more associated with inadequate parental monitoring across family structures. The Family Systems Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model provide the theoretical reference. Findings will contribute to school counselling practice and family welfare policy in Cross River State. Keywords: family structure, behavioural problems, adolescents, Calabar, Cross River State.