Exposure to Insecurity and Associated Emotional Behaviors Among in-School Adolescents in Benue State, Nigeria

Exposure to Insecurity and Associated Emotional Behaviors Among in-School Adolescents in Benue State, Nigeria | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Exposure to Insecurity and Associated Emotional Behaviors Among in-School Adolescents in Benue State, Nigeria Andrew Odido Ikpe, Chimezie Obinna Odionye, Dorothy Ebere Adimora This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8426524/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Adolescents in conflict-affected regions like Benue State, Nigeria, are exposed to pervasive insecurity, yet the specific nature of its association with their emotional well-being requires further investigation. This study examined the exposure to insecurity incidents and the associated emotional behaviors among in-school adolescents in Zone B Senatorial District, Benue State. Methods A cross-sectional correlational design was employed. Using multistage sampling, 300 Senior Secondary School 2 (SSS2) students (150 males, 150 females) were selected from four high-insecurity Local Government Areas. Data were collected with the Insecurity Assessment Questionnaire (IAQ) and the Emotional Behaviors Questionnaire (EBQ). Analyses included descriptive statistics, linear regression, and Fisher’s Z-test. Results Highly prevalent insecurity exposures included hearing of abductions nearby (48.1%) and student kidnappings (46.5%). The most frequently associated emotional behaviors were fear (45.8%) and anxiety (42.4%). A weak, non-significant positive relationship was found between overall insecurity exposure and emotional behavior scores (R = 0.103, p = 0.076). Gender did not significantly moderate this relationship (Fisher’s Z = -0.234, p = 0.815), although females reported higher mean scores across emotional behaviors. Conclusions While exposure to insecurity is prevalent and linked to heightened fear and anxiety among adolescents in this setting, the weak statistical association suggests the influence of potential buffering factors. These findings highlight the need for integrated strategies that combine security, school-based mental health support, and community resilience initiatives to safeguard adolescent well-being. Insecurity Emotional Behaviors Adolescents School Safety Gender Counselling Introduction Background Insecurity, defined as a state of vulnerability to physical, emotional, or socio-economic threats, represents a pervasive challenge in Nigeria, eroding social cohesion, economic stability, and educational progress [ 1 ]. The nation has witnessed escalating violence over the past decade, driven by insurgencies such as Boko Haram in the northeast, farmer-herder conflicts in the central region, and widespread banditry across multiple states [ 2 ]. In 2020 alone, the Nigeria Security Tracker documented 11,885 violence-related deaths, underscoring the severity of the crisis [ 3 ]. This climate of insecurity disrupts fundamental societal structures, with particularly profound effects on vulnerable populations, including adolescents who are in a critical developmental stage [ 4 ]. Benue State, located in Nigeria's North-Central region, is among the most severely affected areas. Zone B Senatorial District, comprising seven Local Government Areas (LGAs)—Guma, Makurdi, Gboko, Gwer-East, Gwer-West, Buruku, and Tarka—has endured persistent insecurity characterized by attacks from armed groups, kidnappings, and communal violence [ 5 ]. Notable incidents include the 2018 killing of National Examination Council (NECO) students in Guma LGA, the 2021 abduction of students from the Federal Government College, Yauri, and the destruction of Government Secondary School, Daudu, in 2022 [ 5 ]. Such events have not only disrupted educational activities but have also cultivated a pervasive climate of fear, leaving students and educators in a state of continuous trauma and hypervigilance [ 6 ]. Adolescent Vulnerability and Emotional Well-being Adolescence (typically ages 13–18) is a developmental period marked by heightened emotional sensitivity and ongoing cognitive and social maturation [ 7 ]. In-school adolescents in conflict-affected regions like Benue State face a dual burden: navigating typical developmental challenges while coping with chronic environmental stressors [ 8 ]. Emotional behaviors—observable reactions such as fear, anxiety, anger, or social withdrawal in response to external threats—serve as critical indicators of psychological well-being [ 9 ]. In contexts of chronic insecurity, these behaviors can become maladaptive, manifesting as symptoms of emotional disorders, diminished academic motivation, and impaired social functioning [ 10 ]. For instance, frequent exposure to violence has been robustly linked to increased risks of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety among youth in conflict zones globally [ 11 ]. Theoretical Framework This study is guided by two complementary theoretical models. First, Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping posits that emotional and behavioral outcomes following a stressor (e.g., an insecurity incident) depend on an individual’s cognitive appraisal of the threat and their perceived coping resources [ 12 ]. Adolescents in Zone B may appraise the persistent threat of school attacks or abductions as highly threatening, potentially triggering fear, anxiety, or hypervigilance. Second, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) emphasizes the multi-layered environmental influences—from family and school (microsystems) to broader community and policy contexts (exosystems and macrosystems)—on development [ 13 ]. Insecure environments disrupt these systems, potentially exacerbating emotional distress. Conversely, supportive structures within these systems (e.g., school counseling, community cohesion) may serve as protective factors, moderating the impact of insecurity on emotional outcomes [ 14 ]. Research Gap and Rationale While prior studies have examined the broad impacts of insecurity on education and mental health in Nigeria [ 3 , 15 , 16 ], there is a notable scarcity of localized, quantitative research focusing on the specific relationship between discrete insecurity incidents and the range of emotional behaviors among in-school adolescents in highly affected sub-regions. Zone B Senatorial District represents a critical gap in the literature, as its unique exposure to persistent, multi-faceted violence necessitates context-specific evidence to inform targeted interventions. Furthermore, the potential moderating role of gender in this relationship remains underexplored in this setting, despite evidence suggesting that females may perceive higher vulnerability to certain threats, such as gender-based violence, in conflict zones [ 17 ]. Aims and Objectives The general objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to insecurity incidents and the emotional behaviors of in-school adolescents in Zone B Senatorial District, Benue State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study aimed to: Identify the prevalent insecurity incidents affecting in-school adolescents in the district. Determine the emotional behaviors most frequently associated with these insecurity incidents. Examine the relationship between exposure to insecurity incidents and reported emotional behaviors. Assess whether gender moderates the relationship between insecurity exposure and emotional behaviors. To address these objectives, the following research questions were formulated: What are the prevalent insecurity incidents affecting in-school adolescents in Zone B Senatorial District? What emotional behaviors are most frequently associated with these incidents? What is the relationship between exposure to insecurity incidents and the emotional behaviors of in-school adolescents? Do gender differences moderate this relationship? Based on the theoretical framework and empirical literature, the following null hypotheses were tested: H0₁ : There is no significant relationship between insecurity incidents and emotional behaviors of in-school adolescents in Zone B Senatorial District. H0₂ : Gender does not significantly moderate the relationship between insecurity incidents and emotional behaviors of in-school adolescents. Methods Study Design and Setting A community-based, cross-sectional survey employing a correlational design was conducted. This design is appropriate for examining relationships between variables in naturalistic settings without inferring causation [ 18 ]. The study was carried out in Zone B Senatorial District of Benue State, Nigeria. This area comprises seven Local Government Areas (LGAs) and has been documented as a hotspot for persistent insecurity, including armed attacks, kidnappings, and communal clashes, which have severely disrupted educational activities [ 5 ]. Data collection occurred between March and May 2023. Ethical Considerations Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Reference Number: UNN/FE/REC/2023/021). Written informed assent was obtained from all participating adolescents, and written informed consent was obtained from their parents or guardians before data collection. Participation was voluntary, and respondents were assured of confidentiality and their right to withdraw at any point without consequence. All data were anonymized during analysis and reporting. Participants and Sampling The target population consisted of all Senior Secondary School 2 (SSS2) students in public secondary schools within Zone B. The population figure of 4,551 students (2,320 males, 2,231 females) was obtained from the Benue State Ministry of Education (2022). SSS2 students were chosen as they are typically not preoccupied with final external examinations (e.g., WASSCE), ensuring better accessibility, and have had sufficient exposure to the persistent insecurity in the region. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select a representative sample. First, four LGAs (Guma, Makurdi, Gboko, and Gwer-East) were purposively selected based on reported high incidence of insecurity incidents from state security reports. Second, three co-educational public secondary schools were randomly selected from each of the four LGAs, resulting in twelve schools. Finally, within each school, a stratified random sampling method was used to select 25 SSS2 students (approximately 12–13 per gender), yielding a total sample of 300 participants (150 males, 150 females). This sample size was deemed adequate for correlational analysis, providing a power > 0.80 to detect a small effect size (r ≥ 0.15) at α = 0.05. Measures Data were collected using two adapted, self-report questionnaires administered in English, the language of instruction in Nigerian secondary schools. Insecurity Assessment Questionnaire (IAQ). The IAQ was adapted from the War Exposure Scale [ 19 ] to reflect the local context of insecurity in Benue State. It consists of 20 items assessing the frequency of exposure to various insecurity incidents over the preceding six months (e.g., “I have heard of student kidnappings in my area,” “I have witnessed a school attack”). Responses were recorded on a 4-point Likert-type scale: 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Often, 4 = Always. A pilot study with 25 SSS2 students from a non-participating area demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.89). In the present study, the IAQ also showed high reliability (α = 0.87). Emotional Behaviors Questionnaire (EBQ). The EBQ was adapted from the Differential Emotions Scale [ 20 ] to measure the frequency of emotional and behavioral responses likely triggered by insecurity. It contains 20 items (e.g., “I feel fearful because of the insecurity in my area,” “I feel anxious when I hear about attacks”). Responses were similarly recorded on the same 4-point scale (Never to Always). The pilot test indicated good internal consistency (α = 0.84), which was maintained in the main study (α = 0.82). Both instruments were validated for face and content validity by two experts in Educational Psychology and one in Measurement and Evaluation from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Procedure Permission was first obtained from the Benue State Ministry of Education and the principals of the selected schools. Trained research assistants (graduate students in Educational Psychology) administered the questionnaires during regular school hours in a classroom setting. Instructions were read aloud, and participants were encouraged to ask questions for clarification. The average completion time was 25 minutes. Data Analysis Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) were used to summarize demographic data, prevalence of insecurity incidents, and emotional behaviors. For the prevalence analysis, a criterion mean score of 2.50 (the midpoint of the 4-point scale) was used as a cut-off. Items with a mean score ≥ 2.50 were interpreted as indicating high prevalence ("Often/Always"), while scores < 2.50 indicated low prevalence ("Never/Rarely"). A simple linear regression analysis was conducted to test H0₁ , with exposure to insecurity incidents (IAQ total score) as the independent variable and emotional behaviors (EBQ total score) as the dependent variable. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. To test H0₂ regarding gender moderation, separate regression analyses were performed for male and female subgroups. The difference between the resulting correlation coefficients was then tested for statistical significance using Fisher’s Z-transformation test. Results Insecurity Incidents and Emotional Behaviors Table 1 summarizes the frequency of all 20 insecurity incidents from the IAQ, with percentages reflecting respondents reporting "Often" or "Always" (scores of 3 or 4) S/N Insecurity Incidents F (%)m F (%)f F (%)g Remark 1 Witnessed school attack 45 (30.6) 51 (34.5) 96 (32.5) Moderate 2 Heard of abductions nearby 68 (46.3) 74 (49.8) 142 (48.1) High 3 Experienced school closure 36 (24.5) 39 (26.4) 75 (25.4) Low 4 Felt unsafe traveling to school 59 (40.1) 64 (43.2) 123 (41.7) High 5 Community violence exposure 50 (34.0) 55 (37.2) 105 (35.6) Moderate 6 Heard gunshots in the area 63 (42.9) 67 (45.5) 130 (44.2) High 7 Witnessed property destruction 54 (36.7) 59 (39.9) 113 (38.3) Moderate 8 Experienced threats from armed groups 42 (28.6) 46 (31.1) 88 (29.8) Low 9 Saw displaced families near school 48 (32.7) 52 (35.1) 100 (33.9) Moderate 10 Heard of teacher abductions 58 (39.5) 62 (41.9) 120 (40.7) High 11 Experienced roadblocks or checkpoints 52 (35.4) 56 (37.5) 108 (36.4) Moderate 12 Witnessed cattle raids 44 (30.0) 48 (32.4) 92 (31.2) Moderate 13 Heard of student kidnappings 66 (44.9) 71 (48.0) 137 (46.5) High 14 Felt unsafe at home due to insecurity 55 (37.4) 60 (40.5) 115 (39.0) Moderate 15 Experienced school evacuation 39 (26.5) 41 (27.7) 80 (27.1) Low 16 Heard of communal clashes 62 (42.2) 67 (45.3) 129 (43.8) High 17 Witnessed police/military presence 53 (36.1) 57 (38.8) 110 (37.5) Moderate 18 Experienced loss of family member 33 (22.4) 37 (25.0) 70 (23.7) Low 19 Heard of attacks on neighboring schools 64 (43.5) 70 (47.0) 134 (45.3) High 20 Felt constant fear of attack 61 (41.5) 66 (44.3) 127 (42.9) High Note: F(%)m = Percentage for Males; F(%)f = Percentage for Females; F(%)g = Grand Percentage. Cut-off point for High prevalence = 40%. Table 1 reveals that insecurity incidents such as hearing of abductions nearby (48.1%), hearing of student kidnappings (46.5%), and attacks on neighboring schools (45.3%) were highly prevalent (above 40%). In contrast, direct personal losses, such as the loss of a family member (23.7%), were reported less frequently. Associated Emotional Behaviors The emotional behaviors most frequently reported by adolescents are presented in Table 2. Behaviors with a total prevalence of ≥ 40% were classified as highly prevalent. Fear (45.8%) and anxiety (42.4%) were the most prevalent, followed by nervousness (40.3%). Moderate levels were reported for depression (38.6%), restlessness (37.6%), and difficulty concentrating (39.0%). Females consistently reported higher prevalence rates across all emotional behaviors compared to males. S/N Emotional Behaviors F(%)m F(%)f F(%)g Remark 1 Fear 43.5 48.0 45.8 High 2 Depression 36.1 41.2 38.6 Moderate 3 Anxiety 40.8 44.0 42.4 High 4 Anger 29.3 31.1 30.2 Low 5 Social withdrawal 27.2 29.7 28.5 Low 6 Sadness 34.0 37.8 35.9 Moderate 7 Irritability 31.3 35.1 33.2 Moderate 8 Guilt 26.5 29.1 27.8 Low 9 Shame 28.6 30.4 29.5 Low 10 Nervousness 38.8 41.9 40.3 High 11 Hopelessness 30.6 34.5 32.5 Moderate 12 Frustration 34.7 37.5 36.1 Moderate 13 Loneliness 33.3 36.1 34.7 Moderate 14 Panic 30.0 33.8 31.9 Moderate 15 Restlessness 36.1 39.2 37.6 Moderate 16 Emotional outbursts 28.6 31.1 29.8 Low 17 Low self-esteem 32.0 35.8 33.9 Moderate 18 Difficulty concentrating 37.4 40.5 39.0 Moderate 19 Sleep disturbances 33.3 37.2 35.3 Moderate 20 Aggression 25.2 27.7 26.4 Low Note: F(%)m = Percentage for Males; F(%)f = Percentage for Females; F(%)g = Grand Percentage. Table 2 shows that Fear (45.8%) and Anxiety (42.4%) were the most prevalent emotional behaviors reported by adolescents. Nervousness (40.3%) was also high. Females consistently reported higher percentages across all emotional variables compared to males. Relationship between Insecurity and Emotional Behaviors A simple linear regression was conducted to test H0₁ , which stated that there is no significant relationship between insecurity incidents and emotional behaviors. The results are summarized in Table 3 . The regression model was not statistically significant, F (1, 293) = 3.175, *p* = .076. Insecurity exposure accounted for approximately 1.1% of the variance in emotional behaviors ( R ² = 0.011). The correlation coefficient ( R = 0.103) indicated a weak, non-significant positive relationship. Therefore, H0₁ was retained. Table 3 Summary of Linear Regression Analysis on the Relationship between Insecurity Incidents and Emotional Behaviors Model R R² Adjusted R² Std. Error F Sig. 1 0.103 0.011 0.007 10.411 3.175 0.076 Table 3 shows a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.103, indicating a weak positive relationship. The probability value (0.076) is greater than 0.05, meaning the relationship is not statistically significant. Thus, Hypothesis 1 is accepted. Gender Differences To test H0₂ —that gender does not significantly moderate the relationship—separate regression analyses were run for males and females (Table 4 ). For males, the correlation was R = 0.090 ( R ² = 0.008); for females, R = 0.117 ( R ² = 0.014). A Fisher’s Z-test was conducted to compare the two correlation coefficients. The result was not statistically significant ( Z = -0.234, *p* = .815), indicating that the strength of the relationship did not differ significantly by gender. Thus, H0₂ was also retained. Table 4 Gender-Based Regression Analysis and Fisher’s Z-Test Results Gender N R R² Fisher’s Z-score Sig. Male 147 0.090 0.008 -0.234 0.815 Female 148 0.117 0.014 Table 4 shows that correlation coefficients ( R = 0.090 for males, 0.117 for females) indicate a slightly stronger relationship for females. The R² values (0.008 for males, 0.014 for females) show that insecurity accounts for 0.8% and 1.4% of emotional behavior variations, respectively, a 0.6% difference favoring females. The non-significant Fisher’s Z-score ( p = 0.815) indicates no gender moderation, accepting Hypothesis 2. Females showed a slightly stronger relationship ( R²= 0.014 vs. 0.008). Discussion This study investigated the relationship between exposure to insecurity incidents and emotional behaviors among in-school adolescents in Zone B Senatorial District, Benue State, Nigeria. The findings present a nuanced picture. While insecurity is highly prevalent and linked to elevated fear and anxiety [ 5 , 6 ], the overall statistical relationship between insecurity exposure and emotional behaviors is weak and non-significant. Additionally, although females reported descriptively higher levels of emotional distress, gender did not significantly moderate the relationship between insecurity and emotional outcomes. Prevalence of Insecurity and Emotional Responses The high prevalence of indirect insecurity experiences aligns with prior reports documenting a persistent climate of fear in Benue State [ 5 ]. Incidents such as hearing of abductions, student kidnappings, and attacks on neighboring schools were common. This suggests that for many adolescents, insecurity is a pervasive background to daily life, characterized more by threat awareness than by direct personal harm. The most frequently reported emotional behaviors were fear and anxiety. This is consistent with studies in other conflict-affected settings where chronic uncertainty leads to heightened emotional arousal [ 11 ]. These findings underscore that even without direct victimization, the ambient threat of violence can substantially impact adolescent wellbeing [ 10 ]. Weak Correlation Between Insecurity and Emotional Behaviors Contrary to some previous studies reporting stronger links between violence exposure and distress [ 15 ], our analysis revealed only a weak, non-significant relationship. Several factors may explain this. First, based on Lazarus and Folkman’s model [ 12 ], adolescents may have developed adaptive coping strategies or resilience mechanisms. Support from peers, family, or community structures could buffer the emotional impact of chronic insecurity [ 24 ]. Second, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological perspective [ 13 ] suggests that protective factors within school or community systems may mitigate how threat translates into emotional behaviors. This buffering effect aligns with resilience literature in conflict-affected youth [ 23 ]. Finally, measurement factors must be considered. The self-report nature of the instruments may not capture all emotional responses, and the cross-sectional design cannot account for adaptation over time. Gender Differences in Emotional Reporting Gender did not significantly moderate the relationship between insecurity and emotional behaviors. However, descriptive data showed females consistently reported higher prevalence rates across all emotional items. This pattern matches global evidence that adolescent girls in insecure environments often report greater internalizing symptoms [ 17 ]. This may be due to heightened perceived vulnerability or socialized differences in emotional expression [ 25 ]. The lack of statistical moderation suggests that the process linking insecurity to emotional outcomes may be similar for both genders in this context, even if distress levels differ. Implications for Practice and Policy These findings have important implications. First, the high levels of fear and anxiety indicate an urgent need for school-based mental health support [ 3 ]. Counseling services and psychosocial programs can help students develop coping skills. Second, the prevalence of indirect threat exposure highlights the importance of creating physically and psychologically safe school environments [ 6 ]. This includes security measures and fostering a stable, trusting school climate. Third, the potential role of community and family as protective buffers suggests interventions should extend beyond schools. Community-based support initiatives can strengthen local resilience and social cohesion [ 24 ]. Limitations and Directions for Future Research This study has several limitations. The cross-sectional design prevents causal inference. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine emotional trajectories over time. Reliance on self-report measures may introduce response bias. Future research could use mixed-methods approaches, including qualitative interviews. The sample was limited to SSS2 students in public schools in Zone B, which may affect generalizability. We also did not assess potential mediating variables like coping strategies or social support, which could clarify the weak correlation observed [ 18 ]. Future studies should aim to: Employ longitudinal designs to assess causality and adaptation. Investigate specific protective factors that may buffer the impact of insecurity. Explore the role of digital and social media in shaping threat perceptions. Conduct comparative studies across different conflict-affected regions in Nigeria. Conclusion Exposure to insecurity incidents is pervasive among in-school adolescents in Zone B, Benue State, and is accompanied by high levels of fear and anxiety. Yet the overall statistical link between exposure and emotional-behaviour scores is weak, underscoring the potential influence of buffering factors at individual, family and community levels. Gender does not moderate the relationship, although girls report consistently higher distress. Comprehensive programmes that combine targeted mental-health services in schools with community-based resilience and safety initiatives are recommended to safeguard adolescent development in this conflict-affected setting. Abbreviations IAQ Insecurity Assessment Questionnaire EBQ :Emotional Behaviors Questionnaire LGA :Local Government Area SSS2 :Senior Secondary School 2 PTSD :Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder SPSS :Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval was granted by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Reference Number: UNN/FE/REC/2023/021). Written informed consent was obtained from the parents or legal guardians of all participating adolescents, and written informed assent was obtained from the students themselves prior to data collection. Participation was voluntary, and confidentiality was strictly maintained. Consent for publication Not applicable. The manuscript does not contain any individual person’s data, images, or videos. All data presented are anonymized and aggregated. Availability of data and materials The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Funding The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript. Authors' contributions IAO and COO conceived and designed the study. IAO performed the data collection. COO performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. ADE provided technical supervision and critically reviewed the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the Benue State Ministry of Education and the principals of the selected schools for granting permission to conduct this research. We also appreciate the students who voluntarily participated in the study. References Achumba IC, Igbomereho OS, Akpan-Robaro MOM. Security challenges in Nigeria and the implication for business activities and sustainable development. J Econ Sustain Dev. 2013;4(2):79–99. Ngwoke PN, Akabike GN. Insecurity and its implication for sustainable development in Nigeria: The role of religion. HTS Teologiese Stud/Theological Stud. 2022;78(1):a7776. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i1.7776 . Odeh RC, Oguche OA, Dondo IE. 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Relationship Between Insecurity, Depression, and Students' Academic Achievement in Nigeria: Implications for Guidance. Int J Educ Natl Dev. 2023;1(3):54–74. Kokkonen P, Athanasopoulou C, Leino-Kilpi H, Puukka P, Sakellari E. Adolescents' difficulties, strengths and feelings of insecurity: a cross-sectional descriptive survey in Finland. Discov Ment Health. 2023;3(1):17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-023-00043-4 . Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8426524","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":583126606,"identity":"3f6c20c2-fc0e-4868-bc3e-5215c6cccf56","order_by":0,"name":"Andrew Odido Ikpe","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Andrew","middleName":"Odido","lastName":"Ikpe","suffix":""},{"id":583126607,"identity":"d7716eec-0933-4582-b48a-1e205030cbf1","order_by":1,"name":"Chimezie Obinna Odionye","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABD0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCcYGEAliGhwAkfwQcWYStEg2ENSCYBowIDTi0cI/u7l1w4c/FnIM7M0bD3zccVjO+EbusQcMFdaJDdLtF7Bacudg280ZPBLGDDzHCg7OPHPY2OxGXroBw5n0xAaZMwXYtBhIJLbd5pGQSGyQyDE4zNt2OHHbjRwzCUYgAyiSgFPLHwOJepiW+s0zQFr+EdDCkCCRwADVkmAgAdLSANKSfgCrX24ktt3sOSBh2Ab2S1u64Ywzb8wkEo6lG7dJ5GAPsRnpz278+FMnz8/evPnDxzZref52oC0faqxl+yXSH2DVAwNsEKoZQiWARXgM8GqBgjpkDjt+W0bBKBgFo2CkAAAK8GSIAcSXuwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chimezie","middleName":"Obinna","lastName":"Odionye","suffix":""},{"id":583126608,"identity":"3b7eafa4-e65a-42bf-8cf5-475a42ecf460","order_by":2,"name":"Dorothy Ebere Adimora","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Dorothy","middleName":"Ebere","lastName":"Adimora","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-12-22 15:38:26","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8426524/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8426524/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104287945,"identity":"fcf4e9e0-fb7d-431c-844f-00c6b8f155e4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-10 05:56:13","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1042536,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8426524/v1/5c672090-0e48-4625-8d54-1f34c2ea9c9d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eExposure to Insecurity and Associated Emotional Behaviors Among in-School Adolescents in Benue State, Nigeria\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\n\u003ch3\u003eBackground\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInsecurity, defined as a state of vulnerability to physical, emotional, or socio-economic threats, represents a pervasive challenge in Nigeria, eroding social cohesion, economic stability, and educational progress [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. The nation has witnessed escalating violence over the past decade, driven by insurgencies such as Boko Haram in the northeast, farmer-herder conflicts in the central region, and widespread banditry across multiple states [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. In 2020 alone, the Nigeria Security Tracker documented 11,885 violence-related deaths, underscoring the severity of the crisis [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. This climate of insecurity disrupts fundamental societal structures, with particularly profound effects on vulnerable populations, including adolescents who are in a critical developmental stage [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBenue State, located in Nigeria's North-Central region, is among the most severely affected areas. Zone B Senatorial District, comprising seven Local Government Areas (LGAs)\u0026mdash;Guma, Makurdi, Gboko, Gwer-East, Gwer-West, Buruku, and Tarka\u0026mdash;has endured persistent insecurity characterized by attacks from armed groups, kidnappings, and communal violence [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. Notable incidents include the 2018 killing of National Examination Council (NECO) students in Guma LGA, the 2021 abduction of students from the Federal Government College, Yauri, and the destruction of Government Secondary School, Daudu, in 2022 [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. Such events have not only disrupted educational activities but have also cultivated a pervasive climate of fear, leaving students and educators in a state of continuous trauma and hypervigilance [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAdolescent Vulnerability and Emotional Well-being\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdolescence (typically ages 13\u0026ndash;18) is a developmental period marked by heightened emotional sensitivity and ongoing cognitive and social maturation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]. In-school adolescents in conflict-affected regions like Benue State face a dual burden: navigating typical developmental challenges while coping with chronic environmental stressors [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]. Emotional behaviors\u0026mdash;observable reactions such as fear, anxiety, anger, or social withdrawal in response to external threats\u0026mdash;serve as critical indicators of psychological well-being [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e]. In contexts of chronic insecurity, these behaviors can become maladaptive, manifesting as symptoms of emotional disorders, diminished academic motivation, and impaired social functioning [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. For instance, frequent exposure to violence has been robustly linked to increased risks of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety among youth in conflict zones globally [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTheoretical Framework\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study is guided by two complementary theoretical models. First, Lazarus and Folkman\u0026rsquo;s (1984) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping posits that emotional and behavioral outcomes following a stressor (e.g., an insecurity incident) depend on an individual\u0026rsquo;s cognitive appraisal of the threat and their perceived coping resources [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. Adolescents in Zone B may appraise the persistent threat of school attacks or abductions as highly threatening, potentially triggering fear, anxiety, or hypervigilance. Second, Bronfenbrenner\u0026rsquo;s Ecological Systems Theory (1979) emphasizes the multi-layered environmental influences\u0026mdash;from family and school (microsystems) to broader community and policy contexts (exosystems and macrosystems)\u0026mdash;on development [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]. Insecure environments disrupt these systems, potentially exacerbating emotional distress. Conversely, supportive structures within these systems (e.g., school counseling, community cohesion) may serve as protective factors, moderating the impact of insecurity on emotional outcomes [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eResearch Gap and Rationale\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile prior studies have examined the broad impacts of insecurity on education and mental health in Nigeria [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e], there is a notable scarcity of localized, quantitative research focusing on the specific relationship between discrete insecurity incidents and the range of emotional behaviors among in-school adolescents in highly affected sub-regions. Zone B Senatorial District represents a critical gap in the literature, as its unique exposure to persistent, multi-faceted violence necessitates context-specific evidence to inform targeted interventions. Furthermore, the potential moderating role of gender in this relationship remains underexplored in this setting, despite evidence suggesting that females may perceive higher vulnerability to certain threats, such as gender-based violence, in conflict zones [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAims and Objectives\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe general objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to insecurity incidents and the emotional behaviors of in-school adolescents in Zone B Senatorial District, Benue State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study aimed to:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eIdentify the prevalent insecurity incidents affecting in-school adolescents in the district.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eDetermine the emotional behaviors most frequently associated with these insecurity incidents.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eExamine the relationship between exposure to insecurity incidents and reported emotional behaviors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssess whether gender moderates the relationship between insecurity exposure and emotional behaviors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo address these objectives, the following research questions were formulated:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat are the prevalent insecurity incidents affecting in-school adolescents in Zone B Senatorial District?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat emotional behaviors are most frequently associated with these incidents?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat is the relationship between exposure to insecurity incidents and the emotional behaviors of in-school adolescents?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo gender differences moderate this relationship?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on the theoretical framework and empirical literature, the following null hypotheses were tested:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eH0₁\u003c/b\u003e: There is no significant relationship between insecurity incidents and emotional behaviors of in-school adolescents in Zone B Senatorial District.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eH0₂\u003c/b\u003e: Gender does not significantly moderate the relationship between insecurity incidents and emotional behaviors of in-school adolescents.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy Design and Setting\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA community-based, cross-sectional survey employing a correlational design was conducted. This design is appropriate for examining relationships between variables in naturalistic settings without inferring causation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]. The study was carried out in Zone B Senatorial District of Benue State, Nigeria. This area comprises seven Local Government Areas (LGAs) and has been documented as a hotspot for persistent insecurity, including armed attacks, kidnappings, and communal clashes, which have severely disrupted educational activities [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. Data collection occurred between March and May 2023.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEthical Considerations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEthical approval\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e for this study was granted by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Reference Number: UNN/FE/REC/2023/021). Written informed assent was obtained from all participating adolescents, and written informed consent was obtained from their parents or guardians before data collection. Participation was voluntary, and respondents were assured of confidentiality and their right to withdraw at any point without consequence. All data were anonymized during analysis and reporting.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eParticipants and Sampling\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe target population consisted of all Senior Secondary School 2 (SSS2) students in public secondary schools within Zone B. The population figure of 4,551 students (2,320 males, 2,231 females) was obtained from the Benue State Ministry of Education (2022). SSS2 students were chosen as they are typically not preoccupied with final external examinations (e.g., WASSCE), ensuring better accessibility, and have had sufficient exposure to the persistent insecurity in the region.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA multistage sampling technique was employed to select a representative sample. First, four LGAs (Guma, Makurdi, Gboko, and Gwer-East) were purposively selected based on reported high incidence of insecurity incidents from state security reports. Second, three co-educational public secondary schools were randomly selected from each of the four LGAs, resulting in twelve schools. Finally, within each school, a stratified random sampling method was used to select 25 SSS2 students (approximately 12\u0026ndash;13 per gender), yielding a total sample of 300 participants (150 males, 150 females). This sample size was deemed adequate for correlational analysis, providing a power\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.80 to detect a small effect size (r\u0026thinsp;\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;0.15) at α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.05.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMeasures\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eData were collected using two adapted, self-report questionnaires administered in English, the language of instruction in Nigerian secondary schools.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eInsecurity Assessment Questionnaire (IAQ).\u003c/em\u003e The IAQ was adapted from the War Exposure Scale [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e] to reflect the local context of insecurity in Benue State. It consists of 20 items assessing the frequency of exposure to various insecurity incidents over the preceding six months (e.g., \u0026ldquo;I have heard of student kidnappings in my area,\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;I have witnessed a school attack\u0026rdquo;). Responses were recorded on a 4-point Likert-type scale: 1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Never, 2\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Rarely, 3\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Often, 4\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Always. A pilot study with 25 SSS2 students from a non-participating area demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.89). In the present study, the IAQ also showed high reliability (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.87).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eEmotional Behaviors Questionnaire (EBQ).\u003c/em\u003e The EBQ was adapted from the Differential Emotions Scale [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e] to measure the frequency of emotional and behavioral responses likely triggered by insecurity. It contains 20 items (e.g., \u0026ldquo;I feel fearful because of the insecurity in my area,\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;I feel anxious when I hear about attacks\u0026rdquo;). Responses were similarly recorded on the same 4-point scale (Never to Always). The pilot test indicated good internal consistency (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.84), which was maintained in the main study (α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.82). Both instruments were validated for face and content validity by two experts in Educational Psychology and one in Measurement and Evaluation from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eProcedure\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePermission was first obtained from the Benue State Ministry of Education and the principals of the selected schools. Trained research assistants (graduate students in Educational Psychology) administered the questionnaires during regular school hours in a classroom setting. Instructions were read aloud, and participants were encouraged to ask questions for clarification. The average completion time was 25 minutes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eData were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) were used to summarize demographic data, prevalence of insecurity incidents, and emotional behaviors. For the prevalence analysis, a criterion mean score of 2.50 (the midpoint of the 4-point scale) was used as a cut-off. Items with a mean score\u0026thinsp;\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;2.50 were interpreted as indicating high prevalence (\"Often/Always\"), while scores\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;2.50 indicated low prevalence (\"Never/Rarely\").\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA simple linear regression analysis was conducted to test \u003cb\u003eH0₁\u003c/b\u003e, with exposure to insecurity incidents (IAQ total score) as the independent variable and emotional behaviors (EBQ total score) as the dependent variable. The significance level was set at p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05. To test \u003cb\u003eH0₂\u003c/b\u003e regarding gender moderation, separate regression analyses were performed for male and female subgroups. The difference between the resulting correlation coefficients was then tested for statistical significance using Fisher\u0026rsquo;s Z-transformation test.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eInsecurity Incidents and Emotional Behaviors\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003esummarizes the frequency of all 20 insecurity incidents from the IAQ, with percentages reflecting respondents reporting \"Often\" or \"Always\" (scores of 3 or 4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eS/N\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInsecurity Incidents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eF (%)m\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eF (%)f\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eF (%)g\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRemark\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWitnessed school attack\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45 (30.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51 (34.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e96 (32.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeard of abductions nearby\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68 (46.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74 (49.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e142 (48.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperienced school closure\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36 (24.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39 (26.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75 (25.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFelt unsafe traveling to school\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59 (40.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64 (43.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e123 (41.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommunity violence exposure\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50 (34.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55 (37.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e105 (35.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeard gunshots in the area\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63 (42.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67 (45.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e130 (44.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWitnessed property destruction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54 (36.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59 (39.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e113 (38.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperienced threats from armed groups\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42 (28.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46 (31.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e88 (29.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSaw displaced families near school\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48 (32.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52 (35.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e100 (33.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeard of teacher abductions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58 (39.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62 (41.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e120 (40.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperienced roadblocks or checkpoints\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52 (35.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56 (37.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e108 (36.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWitnessed cattle raids\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44 (30.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48 (32.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e92 (31.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeard of student kidnappings\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66 (44.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e71 (48.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e137 (46.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFelt unsafe at home due to insecurity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55 (37.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60 (40.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e115 (39.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperienced school evacuation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39 (26.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41 (27.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e80 (27.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeard of communal clashes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62 (42.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67 (45.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e129 (43.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWitnessed police/military presence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53 (36.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57 (38.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e110 (37.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExperienced loss of family member\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33 (22.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37 (25.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70 (23.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeard of attacks on neighboring schools\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64 (43.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70 (47.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e134 (45.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFelt constant fear of attack\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61 (41.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66 (44.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e127 (42.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote: F(%)m\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Percentage for Males; F(%)f\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Percentage for Females; F(%)g\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Grand Percentage. Cut-off point for High prevalence\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;40%.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e reveals that insecurity incidents such as hearing of abductions nearby (48.1%), hearing of student kidnappings (46.5%), and attacks on neighboring schools (45.3%) were highly prevalent (above 40%). In contrast, direct personal losses, such as the loss of a family member (23.7%), were reported less frequently.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eAssociated Emotional Behaviors\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe emotional behaviors most frequently reported by adolescents are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;2. Behaviors with a total prevalence of \u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;40% were classified as highly prevalent. Fear (45.8%) and anxiety (42.4%) were the most prevalent, followed by nervousness (40.3%). Moderate levels were reported for depression (38.6%), restlessness (37.6%), and difficulty concentrating (39.0%). Females consistently reported higher prevalence rates across all emotional behaviors compared to males.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"No\" id=\"Taba\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eS/N\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmotional Behaviors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eF(%)m\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eF(%)f\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eF(%)g\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRemark\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFear\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDepression\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnxiety\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnger\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial withdrawal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSadness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIrritability\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGuilt\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShame\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNervousness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHopelessness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrustration\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLoneliness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePanic\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRestlessness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmotional outbursts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow self-esteem\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDifficulty concentrating\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSleep disturbances\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAggression\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote: F(%)m\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Percentage for Males; F(%)f\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Percentage for Females; F(%)g\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Grand Percentage.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;2 shows that Fear (45.8%) and Anxiety (42.4%) were the most prevalent emotional behaviors reported by adolescents. Nervousness (40.3%) was also high. Females consistently reported higher percentages across all emotional variables compared to males.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eRelationship between Insecurity and Emotional Behaviors\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA simple linear regression was conducted to test \u003cb\u003eH0₁\u003c/b\u003e, which stated that there is no significant relationship between insecurity incidents and emotional behaviors. The results are summarized in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e. The regression model was not statistically significant, \u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e(1, 293)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;3.175, *p* = .076. Insecurity exposure accounted for approximately 1.1% of the variance in emotional behaviors (\u003cem\u003eR\u003c/em\u003e\u0026sup2; = 0.011). The correlation coefficient (\u003cem\u003eR\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.103) indicated a weak, non-significant positive relationship. Therefore, \u003cb\u003eH0₁\u003c/b\u003e was retained.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary of Linear Regression Analysis on the Relationship between Insecurity Incidents and Emotional Behaviors\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eModel\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eR\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eR\u0026sup2;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdjusted \u003cem\u003eR\u0026sup2;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStd. Error\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.103\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.011\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.007\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.411\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.175\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.076\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e shows a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.103, indicating a weak positive relationship. The probability value (0.076) is greater than 0.05, meaning the relationship is not statistically significant. Thus, Hypothesis 1 is accepted.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eGender Differences\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo test \u003cb\u003eH0₂\u003c/b\u003e\u0026mdash;that gender does not significantly moderate the relationship\u0026mdash;separate regression analyses were run for males and females (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). For males, the correlation was \u003cem\u003eR\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.090 (\u003cem\u003eR\u003c/em\u003e\u0026sup2; = 0.008); for females, \u003cem\u003eR\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.117 (\u003cem\u003eR\u003c/em\u003e\u0026sup2; = 0.014). A Fisher\u0026rsquo;s Z-test was conducted to compare the two correlation coefficients. The result was not statistically significant (\u003cem\u003eZ\u003c/em\u003e = -0.234, *p* = .815), indicating that the strength of the relationship did not differ significantly by gender. Thus, \u003cb\u003eH0₂\u003c/b\u003e was also retained.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender-Based Regression Analysis and Fisher\u0026rsquo;s Z-Test Results\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eR\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eR\u0026sup2;\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFisher\u0026rsquo;s Z-score\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSig.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e147\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.090\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.008\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.234\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.815\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e148\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.117\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.014\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e shows that correlation coefficients (\u003cem\u003eR\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.090 for males, 0.117 for females) indicate a slightly stronger relationship for females. The \u003cem\u003eR\u0026sup2;\u003c/em\u003e values (0.008 for males, 0.014 for females) show that insecurity accounts for 0.8% and 1.4% of emotional behavior variations, respectively, a 0.6% difference favoring females. The non-significant Fisher\u0026rsquo;s Z-score (\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.815) indicates no gender moderation, accepting Hypothesis 2. Females showed a slightly stronger relationship (\u003cem\u003eR\u0026sup2;=\u003c/em\u003e0.014 vs. 0.008).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study investigated the relationship between exposure to insecurity incidents and emotional behaviors among in-school adolescents in Zone B Senatorial District, Benue State, Nigeria. The findings present a nuanced picture. While insecurity is highly prevalent and linked to elevated fear and anxiety [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e], the overall statistical relationship between insecurity exposure and emotional behaviors is weak and non-significant. Additionally, although females reported descriptively higher levels of emotional distress, gender did not significantly moderate the relationship between insecurity and emotional outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePrevalence of Insecurity and Emotional Responses\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe high prevalence of indirect insecurity experiences aligns with prior reports documenting a persistent climate of fear in Benue State [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. Incidents such as hearing of abductions, student kidnappings, and attacks on neighboring schools were common. This suggests that for many adolescents, insecurity is a pervasive background to daily life, characterized more by threat awareness than by direct personal harm. The most frequently reported emotional behaviors were fear and anxiety. This is consistent with studies in other conflict-affected settings where chronic uncertainty leads to heightened emotional arousal [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. These findings underscore that even without direct victimization, the ambient threat of violence can substantially impact adolescent wellbeing [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eWeak Correlation Between Insecurity and Emotional Behaviors\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eContrary to some previous studies reporting stronger links between violence exposure and distress [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e], our analysis revealed only a weak, non-significant relationship. Several factors may explain this. First, based on Lazarus and Folkman\u0026rsquo;s model [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e], adolescents may have developed adaptive coping strategies or resilience mechanisms. Support from peers, family, or community structures could buffer the emotional impact of chronic insecurity [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]. Second, Bronfenbrenner\u0026rsquo;s ecological perspective [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e] suggests that protective factors within school or community systems may mitigate how threat translates into emotional behaviors. This buffering effect aligns with resilience literature in conflict-affected youth [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]. Finally, measurement factors must be considered. The self-report nature of the instruments may not capture all emotional responses, and the cross-sectional design cannot account for adaptation over time.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eGender Differences in Emotional Reporting\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender did not significantly moderate the relationship between insecurity and emotional behaviors. However, descriptive data showed females consistently reported higher prevalence rates across all emotional items. This pattern matches global evidence that adolescent girls in insecure environments often report greater internalizing symptoms [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e]. This may be due to heightened perceived vulnerability or socialized differences in emotional expression [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]. The lack of statistical moderation suggests that the process linking insecurity to emotional outcomes may be similar for both genders in this context, even if distress levels differ.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eImplications for Practice and Policy\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese findings have important implications. First, the high levels of fear and anxiety indicate an urgent need for school-based mental health support [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. Counseling services and psychosocial programs can help students develop coping skills. Second, the prevalence of indirect threat exposure highlights the importance of creating physically and psychologically safe school environments [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]. This includes security measures and fostering a stable, trusting school climate. Third, the potential role of community and family as protective buffers suggests interventions should extend beyond schools. Community-based support initiatives can strengthen local resilience and social cohesion [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec23\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eLimitations and Directions for Future Research\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study has several limitations. The cross-sectional design prevents causal inference. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine emotional trajectories over time. Reliance on self-report measures may introduce response bias. Future research could use mixed-methods approaches, including qualitative interviews. The sample was limited to SSS2 students in public schools in Zone B, which may affect generalizability. We also did not assess potential mediating variables like coping strategies or social support, which could clarify the weak correlation observed [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFuture studies should aim to:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmploy longitudinal designs to assess causality and adaptation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eInvestigate specific protective factors that may buffer the impact of insecurity.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eExplore the role of digital and social media in shaping threat perceptions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eConduct comparative studies across different conflict-affected regions in Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eExposure to insecurity incidents is pervasive among in-school adolescents in Zone B, Benue State, and is accompanied by high levels of fear and anxiety. Yet the overall statistical link between exposure and emotional-behaviour scores is weak, underscoring the potential influence of buffering factors at individual, family and community levels. Gender does not moderate the relationship, although girls report consistently higher distress. Comprehensive programmes that combine targeted mental-health services in schools with community-based resilience and safety initiatives are recommended to safeguard adolescent development in this conflict-affected setting.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Abbreviations","content":"\u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionList\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"DefinitionListEntry\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Term\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eIAQ\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"Description\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInsecurity Assessment Questionnaire \u003cb\u003eEBQ\u003c/b\u003e:Emotional Behaviors Questionnaire \u003cb\u003eLGA\u003c/b\u003e:Local Government Area \u003cb\u003eSSS2\u003c/b\u003e:Senior Secondary School 2 \u003cb\u003ePTSD\u003c/b\u003e:Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder \u003cb\u003eSPSS\u003c/b\u003e:Statistical Package for the Social Sciences\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e This study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval was granted by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Reference Number: UNN/FE/REC/2023/021). Written informed consent was obtained from the parents or legal guardians of all participating adolescents, and written informed assent was obtained from the students themselves prior to data collection. Participation was voluntary, and confidentiality was strictly maintained.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e Not applicable. The manuscript does not contain any individual person\u0026rsquo;s data, images, or videos. All data presented are anonymized and aggregated.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting Interests\u003c/strong\u003e The authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026apos; contributions\u003c/strong\u003e IAO and COO conceived and designed the study. IAO performed the data collection. COO performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. ADE provided technical supervision and critically reviewed the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e The authors wish to thank the Benue State Ministry of Education and the principals of the selected schools for granting permission to conduct this research. We also appreciate the students who voluntarily participated in the study.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAchumba IC, Igbomereho OS, Akpan-Robaro MOM. Security challenges in Nigeria and the implication for business activities and sustainable development. J Econ Sustain Dev. 2013;4(2):79\u0026ndash;99.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNgwoke PN, Akabike GN. Insecurity and its implication for sustainable development in Nigeria: The role of religion. 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Int J Educ Natl Dev. 2023;1(3):54\u0026ndash;74.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKokkonen P, Athanasopoulou C, Leino-Kilpi H, Puukka P, Sakellari E. Adolescents' difficulties, strengths and feelings of insecurity: a cross-sectional descriptive survey in Finland. Discov Ment Health. 2023;3(1):17. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-023-00043-4\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s44192-023-00043-4\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Insecurity, Emotional Behaviors, Adolescents, School Safety, Gender, Counselling","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8426524/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8426524/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdolescents in conflict-affected regions like Benue State, Nigeria, are exposed to pervasive insecurity, yet the specific nature of its association with their emotional well-being requires further investigation. This study examined the exposure to insecurity incidents and the associated emotional behaviors among in-school adolescents in Zone B Senatorial District, Benue State.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA cross-sectional correlational design was employed. Using multistage sampling, 300 Senior Secondary School 2 (SSS2) students (150 males, 150 females) were selected from four high-insecurity Local Government Areas. Data were collected with the Insecurity Assessment Questionnaire (IAQ) and the Emotional Behaviors Questionnaire (EBQ). Analyses included descriptive statistics, linear regression, and Fisher\u0026rsquo;s Z-test.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eHighly prevalent insecurity exposures included hearing of abductions nearby (48.1%) and student kidnappings (46.5%). The most frequently associated emotional behaviors were fear (45.8%) and anxiety (42.4%). A weak, non-significant positive relationship was found between overall insecurity exposure and emotional behavior scores (R\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.103, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.076). Gender did not significantly moderate this relationship (Fisher\u0026rsquo;s Z = -0.234, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.815), although females reported higher mean scores across emotional behaviors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile exposure to insecurity is prevalent and linked to heightened fear and anxiety among adolescents in this setting, the weak statistical association suggests the influence of potential buffering factors. These findings highlight the need for integrated strategies that combine security, school-based mental health support, and community resilience initiatives to safeguard adolescent well-being.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Exposure to Insecurity and Associated Emotional Behaviors Among in-School Adolescents in Benue State, Nigeria","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-02 16:05:29","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8426524/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e4dca01d-d762-4e3a-a99e-d2f04316f3e8","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 2nd, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-10T05:55:59+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-02 16:05:29","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8426524","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8426524","identity":"rs-8426524","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}