1. Introduction

There are several behavior problems related to students at school and at home in many countries of the world. These behavior problems sometimes lead to violent activities, promotion of sex clips in class, fighting, bullying and destruction of property (Kinai, 2004). Glev, Fan, Katon, and Rivara (2008) argues that victims of bullying in the United State felt that it was not wrong to carry weapons to schools, they then concluded that the situation was due to the fact that younger adolescents may not have gotten non-violent conflict resolution skills compared to the older adolescents. Akse, Hale, Engels, Raaijmakers and Meeus (2006) acknowledge that personality could be associated with several problems behavior such as depression, anxiety, aggression and delinquency. However, it is not yet clear whether stability and change in personality have differential effect on the development of problem behavior. Michael (2007) asserts that people committing murder and other forms of violent crime are likely to exhibit a personality disorder of one type or another. Essentially much personality disorder can be associated with violent crime. Manichander (2014) indicated that perception of locus of control is a challengeable disposition, the study calls for structing environments that will induce and maintain realistic internal perception of locus of control.

2. Theoretical Framework

The study was informed by the Person Centered Theory by Carl Rogers (1951). The theory stated that all individuals exist in a continually changing world of experience (phenomenal field) of which they are the Centre. The organism reacts to the field as it is experienced and perceived. This perceptual field is “reality” for the individual and that the organism reacts as an organized whole to the phenomenal field. A portion of the total phenomenal field gradually becomes differentiated a the self. As a result of interaction with the environment and particularly as a result of interaction with the environment and particularly as a result of evaluation interaction with others, the structure of the self is formed as an organized fluid but consistent conceptual pattern of perception of characteristic and relationships of the “I” or the “me”, together with values attached to the concepts.

Rogers maintains that the organism has one basic tendency and striving to maintain and enhance the experiencing organism. The best vantage point for understanding behavior is from the internal frame of reference of the individual. Therefore, behaviour is goal directed attempt by the organism to satisfy its needs as experienced, in the field as perceived. Emotions accompany and in general facilitate such goal-directed behavior, the kind of emotion being related to the kind perceived significance of the behavior for maintenance and enhancement of the organism.

Rogers believed that psychological readjustment exits when the organism denies awareness of significant sensory and visceral experiences, which consistently are not symbolized and organized into gestalt of the self- structure. When the situation exists there is a basic or potential psychological tension and any experience which is inconsistent with the organization of the structure of the self may be perceived as a threat, the more of these perceptions there are, the more rigidly the self- structure is organized to maintain itself. Under certain conditions, involving primarily complete absence of threat the self- structure, experiences which are inconsistent with it may be perceived and examined, and the structure of the self is revised to assimilate and includes such experiences. Moreover, when the individual perceives and accepts into system all his sensory and visceral experiences, then he is necessarily more understanding of others and more accepting of others as separate individuals, and as individuals perceives and accepts into his self –structure more of his organic experiences, he finds that he is replacing his present value system based extensively on introjections which have been distortedly symbolized – with continuing value process.

The theory posited by Rogers (1951) informed the study that individual’s behavior (students) is patterned by the kind of perceptual experiences they hold towards the environment to which they interact with. The quality of interaction with others (fellow students, teachers and parents) will depend on their internal state (intrinsic variables) and how they are perceived in the phenomenal world. The theory also maintains that students will struggle to achieve their basic needs accompanied by emotions which consequently facilitates goal-directed behavior The theory also informs the study that individuals (students) acquire certain values (rules), controlled by the values and others through perceived acts which consequently dictates the type of behavior demonstrated at any given situation.

3. Literature Review

Studies have been reviewed on the influence of locus of control. For example, Abudul, Aziz and Ghani (2013) showed that there was no significant relationship between locus of control types and types of crime among secondary school students. Abdolmajid, Gholamal and Maryam (2011) reported that there was significant relationship (P<0.05) between students’ internal locus of control and their desired disciplinary behavior although the relationship between students external locus control and their desired disciplinary behaviors was not significant. Wang’eri, and Onyango (2013) study revealed that students with internal locus of control accompanied by low deferment of gratification, low self-control and low personal values reported higher percentages of sexual promiscuity than those with internal locus of control but with high deferment of gratification, high self- control and high personal values. Nwankwo, Balogun, Chukwudi, and Ibeme, (2012) found a significant positive relationship exist between high self – esteem and internal locus of control among well – functioning adolescents. In another study, Jehad, and Shaher (2009 showed that there was no relationship between externality of locus of control and depression, while externality of locus of control was found to be significantly positively related to depression. Afifi (2007) indicated that adolescents with low internal health locus of control and high chance external of control more likely to have depressive symptoms than others in bivariate and multivariate analysis. According to Boshoff and Vanzyl (2010) showed statistically significant relationships were found between internal locus of control and ethical behavior, external locus of control and ethical behavior, as well as autonomy. In Kisii County of Kenya, between 2011-2014 cases of student’s behavioral problems, violence and strikes have been reported among secondary schools (Kisii County Director of Education Office, 2014).

4. Research Hypothesis

The Null Hypothesis of the study was stated as follows: There is no statistically significant relationship between student’s locus of control and indulgence in behavior problems.

5. Methodology

The study adopted a Correlation Survey Design. The researcher used data from the targeted population of 95 secondary schools composed of 11479 form three students. From this population, 20 secondary schools (n=20) were sampled for the study where 386 students respondents (n=386), 40 teachers respondents (n=40) and 20 head teachers respondents (n=40) were selected. The return rate of the questionnaires was 89.9% from the students’ respondents. The study adopted a Locus of Control scale to collect quantitative data. This questionnaire had forty items to which respondents are expected to tick ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the statements provided. The researcher used cronbach alpha to reliability of the research instrument and reliability was found to be 0.743. Before commencing the study the researcher sought a written permission from School of post graduate studies, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology and then proceeds to national council of science, technology and innovation to request for authority to carry out research as required by the Kenyan law. Quantitative data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The hypothesis was tested at the 95% level of significance and specifically the One Way ANOVA was used.

6. Findings

A descriptive statistics was computed to compare the three dimensions of locus of control, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Descriptive statistics of scores by types of locus control on Indulgence to behaviour problem

Table 1 shows the descriptive information of the groups of locus of control indicates that students with external locus of control had the highest score (mean = 78.95) of indulgence to behaviour problems and intermediate locus of control had the least level (mean = 59.48) of indulgence to behaviour problems. To ascertain whether there was a relationship between students’ locus of control and students indulgence in behaviour problems, a one-way between-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. The results are presented in table 2.

Table 2. ANOVA RESULTS

The ANOVA results in Table 2 confirmed that there was a statistically significant difference (p<.05) in students’ indulgence in behaviour scores for the three locus of control [F (2, 344) = 40387.97, p<.05].

7. Discussion and Conclusions

The results indicated that the mean indulgence in behavior problem for the students who exhibited external locus of control was the highest score (mean = 78.95), meaning they were more involved in behavior problems than the other two. The finding of this study agrees with findings of Lettie et al (2010) who reported that locus of control ad significant influence on verbal and indirect aggression and that boys with internal locus of control were significantly and substantially less aggressive than boys with external locus of control . Similarly, Abdolmajid et al (2011) agreed that there was a significant relationship was observed between students family functioning and their desired disciplinary behavior and also that there was a significant relationship between Students internal locus of control and their desired disciplinary behavior was not significant. Wangeri et al (2013) also indicated that females students with external locus of control accompanied by low deferment of gratification, low self – control and personal values reported higher incidents of involvements in sexual promiscuity. Boshoff et al (2010) showed that statistically significant relationship was found between internal locus of control and ethical behavior. Rimgail Acien (2001) also agrees that students with external locus of control were more associated with physical and emotional bullying behavior. Brian Ritztein (2003) indicated that there was a significant positive correlation between external locus of control and problem with internet use. Kathry et al (2010) showed that an internal locus of control was associated with a lower frequency of physical assault and sexual coercion towards intimate partners among men who reported lower qualities of alcohol consumption. However, Abudul et al (2013) indicated in their study that there was no significant between locus of control types and types of crimes among secondary school students, on the same note Jehad et al (2009) also contend that there was no relationship between externality of locus of control and depression.

The study showed that there was a relationship between students’ locus of control and indulgence in behavior problems. That is, students with high internal locus of control are able to set goals, have no time to waste, and always never get involved in boy-girl relationship. This was an indicator that such students are likely to have less behavior problems at school because they appear motivated to pursue their objectives, interest and educational goals at school. It revealed that students with external locus of control lack concentration at school follow their peer without serious thought; they also give up in tasks as they believe that their upbringing and background naturally make them prone to behavior problems. The study recommends that the teacher counselors should be trained on the techniques of identifying students at risk by use of personality assessment methods so as enable these student develop coping skills and knowledge of managing their behavior problem hence less indulgence.