The Impact of Family Structure on the Nature and Type of Delinquent Behaviours among Secondary School Adolescents in Kumo Metropolis, Gombe State

The study investigated the effects of family structure on delinquent behaviours and its health consequences among secondary school adolescents in Kumo metropolis, Gombe State. Juvenile delinquency is becoming a problem bedeviling many societies of the world. The objectives of the study is to examine the effects of family structure on juvenile delinquency, identify the causes of juvenile behaviours among adolescents, identify the health consequences of these behaviours and proffer possible solutions. Using cluster and simple random sampling techniques, a sample of three hundred and two (302) adolescents respondents was drawn from four private and public secondary schools (Government day secondary School Akkoyel, Government day Secondary School Pilot, The Classic Academy, and HajiyaNai'la Science Secondary School) in Kumo metropolis. The findings revealed that; the extended family is the major family type practiced in Kumo Metropolis and it was the leading avenue to juvenile delinquency. Poverty was found to be the possible cause of juvenile offending in Kumo metropolis and the most committed delinquent acts were violent crimes. This study recommended that Governmental, non-governmental organizations, and elites should establish job opportunities and small-scale industries to help alleviate poverty, law should be enforced, and parents should monitor and try to meet the demands of their children such as food, clothing, shelter, and education