Abstract

The study investigated perceived spatial patterns and formulated preventive strategies against violent behaviours among undergraduates of South-East Universities, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study while multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to draw the sample for the study. Well-completed 1,707 copies of researcher-designed undergraduates violent behaviours perpetration patterns questionnaire (UVBPPQ) that comprised five sections A, B, C, D, and E were returned by undergraduates of eighteen randomly selected departments from seventeen faculties in four federal and five state universities situated in South-East Nigeria and were analyzed. Split-half was used to determine reliability of instrument (UVBPPQ) while Spearman-Brown Prophecy (correction) Formula was used to establish reliability co-efficient of the sub-scales. Cronbach’s alpha statistic was also utilized to establish inter-item correlation co-efficient of items in Sections B and C of the instrument. Mean statistic and percentages were utilized for answering the research questions while Chi-square (²) was utilized to test the four postulated null hypotheses. Undergraduates violent behaviour in-depth interview guide (UVBIIG) was adopted to generate qualitative data to complement the quantitative data. Results revealed that low prevalence of violent behaviours was found among undergraduates of South-East Nigerian universities.

Key words: Pattern, spatial pattern, violence, behaviours, surveillance.