EFFECTS OF RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY AND ASSERTIVENESS SKILLS TRAINING ON HEALTHY SEXUAL BEHAVIOURS AMONG ADOLESCENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

P. E. Igbeneghu, J. A. Ademokoya, A., O. Falaye

Abstract


This study examined the effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) and Assertiveness Skills Training (AST) on healthy sexual behaviours among adolescents with learning disabilities in Ibadan, Nigeria. It also examined the moderating effects of age and gender. A pretest-posttest, control group, quasi-experimental design of 3x2x2 factorial matrix was adopted. Eighty-four adolescents with learning disabilities (42 males and 42 females) were purposively selected from three randomly selected public secondary schools in Ibadan metropolis. They were randomly assigned into two treatment conditions (REBT and AST) and control group consisting of 28 participants each. The training programmes lasted ten weeks. Three instruments were used for screening: Pupil Rating Scale (α = 0.71), Sexual Abstinence Scale (α = 0.89) and Safe Sex Behaviour Questionnaire (α = 0.79) while Adolescents with Learning Disabilities’ Sexual Behaviour Scale (α = 0.76) was used for data collection. Five hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance. Early adolescents (10-13 years) and middle adolescents (14-16 years) were used for the study. There were significant main effects of treatments (F(2, 71) = 61.95; η2 =0.64, = 165.35 ) and (F(2, 71) = 61.95; η2 =0.64, = 159.64) on healthy sexual behaviours of adolescents with learning disabilities. Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy had a higher mean score ( = 165.35) than those exposed to Assertiveness Skills Training ( = 159.64) while those in the control group had the lowest mean score (( = 145.29). There was an observed interactive effects of treatment, age and gender on healthy sexual behaviours of adolescents with learning disabilities (F(2, 71) = 3.49; η2 =0.09). Both treatment conditions were effective in fostering healthy sexual behaviours among adolescents with learning disabilities regardless of age or gender.

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adolescents with learning disabilities, assertiveness skills training, healthy sexual behaviour, rational emotive behaviour therapy

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v7i11.3345

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