Hostile Behaviour among Undergraduates: The Roles of Family Support and Peer Relationship

Abstract

This study investigated hostile behaviour among undergraduates: The roles of family social support and peer relationship. Two hundred and sixty-six (266) undergraduates participated in the study. They include 220 females and 46 males, whose ages ranged from 17 to 25 years (mean age 20.51; standard deviation 1.44). A mixed sampling design involving purposive, simple random, and accidental sampling was used to select the faculties, departments, and students who participated in the study. Three instruments (Hostile dimension of aggressive behaviour scale, family social support dimension of the multidimensional scale of perceived social support scale and index of peer relations scale) were used to collect data for the study. The study adopted a correlational design and multiple linear regression statistics were used to analyze the data. The first result shows that family social support positively and significantly predicted hostile behaviour, ß = (34**, t = 5.15, P<.01) while the second result revealed that peer relationship negatively and significantly predicted hostile behaviour, ß = (-.213**, t = -3.586, P<.01).  The discussion focused on importance and implication of these two predictors (family social support and peer relationship). Recommendations were based on the findings. It was recommended that input from positive improved family social support and peer relationships are important variables that can reduce hostile behaviours.