School bullying has received considerable criminological, psychological, educational, and governmental attention. However, much of the attention is focused on bullying in western, Asian, and Scandinavian countries. There appears to be scant, if any, attention paid to this problem on the African continent. Using cross-sectional data from a sample of 1,192 junior secondary school (middle school) students in Nigeria, this study examines the prevalence and correlates of bullying in this sample of secondary school students in Nigeria. Bullying prevalence rate in this sample was 59.9%. The study finds that males were more likely to bully than females, and the most prevalent form of bullying behavior for both genders was making fun of someone. Correlates for bullying perpetration were association with delinquent friends, negative school climate, attending a private school, and ethnicity.
Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory of Crime’s (GTC) claim to explain crime, at all times, and in all places, has received considerable empirical support using Western, Scandinavian, and Asian samples. However, the theory is yet to be tested using a Nigerian sample. Using cross-sectional data from a sample of 1,192 junior secondary school (middle school) students in Nigeria, this study examines the explanatory power of Gottfredson and Hirschi’s GTC in predicting bullying perpetration and victimization in that context and culture. Binomial logistic regression was used to test the hypothesis that the bullying perpetration and victimization experiences of these students would be negatively related to self-control. Study provides support for the cross-cultural potency of the GTC as low self-control predicted the bullying and victimization experiences of these students regardless of gender. Students’ perception of a negative school environment was also a significant predictor of bullying. This is the first test of the GTC with a Nigerian sample and hopefully, will be a springboard for effective bullying prevention policy/programs in Nigerian schools. The public policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Children historically have been considered to be chattel, denied rights in society, and parents had unfettered right to “abuse” their children for any and every infraction. The doctrine of parens patriae meaning “father of the country” originated in the twelfth century, and it refers to the power of the state to make decisions for those who are unable to do so. The doctrine refers to the right of the king and the courts to intervene and act in loco parentis (in place of the parents) for all “infants,” “idiots,” and “lunatics.” Typically, parens patriae was applied to cases involving children, and allowed the courts, under its inherent common law jurisdiction, to prioritize the best interests of the child. This doctrine has evolved over the years, owing to the impact of legislation, Supreme Court decisions, prosecutorial discretion, and juvenile court practices. This entry includes the history of the doctrine, legislative, and other impacts on its application, and implications for juveniles and the juvenile justice system.
“Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was written on April 16, 963, by Martin Luther King, Jr. in response to criticism by eight white Alabama clergymen about his passive, nonviolent, resistance method of protesting the injustices experienced by African Americans in Alabama. In this letter, King defended the strategy, timeliness, and propriety of the civil rights movement. He advocated as current president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, concerned citizen, fellow clergyman, black man, politician, and orator. He appealed to the patriotic, religious, moral, and legal sentiments of his intended audience. King painstakingly explained his beliefs, logically marshaled his arguments, and deliberately defended his strategy, while expressing his disappointment with the white church's distance from the movement. This entry provides an overview of the letter, while focusing on King's assessment of various criminal justice agencies.
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