IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH (IJSSMR )

E-ISSN 2545-5303
P-ISSN 2695-2203
VOL. 11 NO. 2 2025
DOI: 10.56201/ijssmr.vol.11no2.2025.pg.179.192

---

Impact of Peer Influence on the Behavior of Shila Boys in Yola North, Adamawa State: A Sociological Approach

Ibrahim Mohammad Siraju

---

Abstract

This study examines the influence of peer pressure on the behaviors of Shila Boys, a youth gang involved in delinquent activities in Yola North, Adamawa State. The study aims to identify factors contributing to peer influence, assess its impact on delinquent behaviors, explore the role of social acceptance in group membership, and suggest intervention strategies. Grounded in Social Learning Theory, which posits that individuals adopt behaviors through observation and reinforcement, the study employs a descriptive survey research design. Data was collected from 95 respondents using a structured questionnaire, and findings were analyzed using measures of central tendency. The results indicate that peer pressure significantly influences the behaviors of Shila Boys, sustaining their engagement in delinquent activities. Social acceptance plays a crucial role in maintaining group membership, as many youths seek validation within these groups. However, findings also suggest that structured intervention programs, including mentorship, vocational training, and community engagement, can mitigate negative peer influence. The study concludes that peer influence is a major driver of youth delinquency, but with targeted interventions, its negative effects can be reduced. Based on these findings, recommendations include implementing mentorship programs, strengthening parental guidance, establishing rehabilitation initiatives, and enhancing community-policing efforts. These measures can help reform at-risk youth and reduce gang- related activities.

keywords:

Peer influence, delinquency, social acceptance, intervention, mentorship.

---

References:

:
Ahmed, M. (2023). Street Gangs and Deviant Behavior Among Nigerian Adolescents. Journal
of Urban Crime Studies.
Akers, R. L., & Jensen, G. F. (Eds.). (2003). Social Learning Theory and the Explanation of
Crime. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.
Akers, R. L., & Jensen, G. F. (2021). Social Learning and Deviance: A General Theory of
Crime. Routledge.
Andrews, D. A., & Bonta, J. (2020). The Psychology of Criminal Conduct. Routledge.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Danjuma, A., Bello, I., & Yusuf, M. (2022). The Influence of Peer Groups on Youth
Criminality in Northern Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Criminology.
Dishion, T. J., et al. (2020). Peer Contagion in Child and Adolescent Social Development.
Annual Review of Psychology.
Dishion, T. J., & Tipsord, J. M. (2011). Peer contagion in child and adolescent social and
emotional development. Annual Review of Psychology, 62, 189-214.
Esbensen, F.-A., & Maxson, C. L. (2020). Youth Gangs in International Perspective. Springer.
Farrington, D. P., & West, D. J. (2020). Criminal Careers: A 40-Year Follow-up Study of 411
London Males. Oxford University Press.
Hirschi, T. (2021). Causes of Delinquency. University of California Press.
Ibrahim, M., & Usman, T. (2023). Social Identity and Delinquency Among Urban Youths.
African Journal of Sociology.
Loeber, R., & Farrington, D. P. (2019). Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors
and Successful Interventions. Sage.
Nwankwo, B. E., Balogun, S. K., Chukwudi, T. O., & Ibeme, N. C. (2019). The role of peer
influence on juvenile delinquency among adolescents in the government remand
homes, Lagos State, Nigeria. International Journal of Academic Research in
Business and Social Sciences, 9(2), 1-12.
Nwankwo, B. E., et al. (2019). Peer Influence and Juvenile Delinquency in Nigeria.
International Journal of Social Sciences.
Ogbemudia, M. I., & Aghara, V. N. O. (2014). Peer group influence and juvenile delinquency
in Nigeria: A case study of Benin City. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in
Education, 4(3), 31-36.
Ojo, A. A., & Olufemi, A. A. (2013). Peer group influence and deviant behaviour among
secondary school students in Ogun State, Nigeria. International Journal of
Humanities and Social Science Invention, 2(1), 10-17.
Omizo, M. M., Omizo, S. A., & Honda, M. J. (2014). The influence of peer pressure on the
behavior of adolescents. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 19(1), 8
-14.
Patterson, G. R., DeBaryshe, B. D., & Ramsey, E. (2018). A developmental perspective on
antisocial behavior. In J. McCord (Ed.), Coercion and Punishment in Long-Term
Perspectives (pp. 13-41). Cambridge University Press.
Steinberg, L., & Monahan, K. C. (2007). Age differences in resistance to peer influence.
Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1531-1543.
Steinberg, L., & Monahan, K. C. (2019). Age Differences in Resistance to Peer Influence.
Developmental Psychology.
Thrasher, F. M. (2021). The Gang: A Study of 1,313 Gangs in Chicago. University of Chicago
Press.
Van Hoorn, J., Van Dijk, E., Meuwese, R., Rieffe, C., & Crone, E. A. (2017). Peer influence
on prosocial behavior in adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 27(1),
190-200.

DOWNLOAD PDF

---

Back