Truancy and Its Psychological Correlates Among Junior Secondary Students in Kano State

This study investigates the psychological correlates of truancy among junior secondary school students in Kano State, North West Nigeria. Truancy, defined as unauthorised absence from school, is a complex behaviour with antecedents rooted in psychological distress, family dysfunction, peer influence, and disengagement from the school environment. The study adopts a descriptive survey design, engaging 310 JSS2 and JSS3 students from eight public secondary schools in Kano Municipal and Dala Local Government Areas. A validated truancy behaviour scale, the Children's Depression Inventory (adapted), and a school belonging questionnaire were used as instruments. Data were analysed using binary logistic regression and Pearson correlation. Findings indicate that depressive symptoms, low school belonging, and peer truancy normalisation are the strongest predictors of truant behaviour. Students who reported poor relationships with teachers and a sense of academic futility were significantly more likely to engage in truancy. Family factors, including parental absence and domestic conflict, also emerged as significant contributors. These findings position truancy as a symptom of broader psychological and relational distress rather than simple indiscipline. The Kano State Secondary Education Management Board is advised to mandate regular absenteeism reviews linked to counsellor referral protocols and to invest in whole-school belonging-enhancement initiatives such as student mentorship and extracurricular engagement programmes. Keywords: truancy, psychological correlates, junior secondary school, Kano State, school belonging.