The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Disruptive Behaviour Among Adolescents in Public Secondary Schools in Lagos State.

Abstract

This paper examined the influence of emotional intelligence on 
disruptive behaviour among in-school adolescents in public 
secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria, and explored the effect 
of gender on these behaviours. Using a cross-sectional design, a 
total of 1001 adolescents (48.3% male, 51.7% female), aged 12
18 years (M = 15.31; SD = 1.49), were sampled across nine public 
schools in four education districts. Participants completed the 
Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test and the Conduct 
and Oppositional Defiant Disorder Scales (CODDS). Regression 
analysis revealed that emotional intelligence significantly and 
negatively predicted disruptive behaviour (β = –.21, p < .01), 
accounting for 4.5% of the variance. Male adolescents reported 
significantly higher disruptive behaviour than females (t = 5.36, p 
< .001). These findings emphasise the role of emotional 
intelligence in reducing disruptive tendencies and point to the 
importance of gender-sensitive behavioural interventions.