Modelling the social and institutional factors influencing hooliganism among higher education students: The roles of peer influence, substance abuse, institutional control, and group rivalry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.3.4.70Keywords:
Institutional Hooliganism Control, Online hooliganism, PLS-SEM, Students’ Abusive Behaviours, Substance Abuse, Students’ Group Rivalry, University CampusesAbstract
This study models the factors that drive students’ hooliganism on university campuses, focusing on perceived peer influence, substance abuse, institutional control, and group rivalry. Grounded in Social Learning Theory, this study employed a cross-sectional correlational survey design, with data collected from 500 university students selected through stratified sampling. The hypothesised relationships were subsequently tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The proposed model accounted for 46.2% of the variance in students’ hooliganism. Perceived substance abuse emerged as the strongest predictor overall (importance = 0.454), whereas perceived peer influence recorded the highest performance score (54.705). Peer influence was a significant driver of both substance abuse and group rivalry, and substance abuse in turn significantly predicted group rivalry and hooliganism. Group rivalry and institutional control were also significant predictors of hooliganism, but peer influence showed no direct effect on hooliganism once these pathways were accounted for. Taken together, the results point to a web of interconnected risk factors and suggest that campuses would benefit from peer-focused programmes, substance-abuse prevention, conflict-management initiatives, and firmer institutional oversight. The study concludes that group rivalry, substance abuse, and institutional control significantly shape students’ hooliganism and recommends that university authorities strengthen mediation processes to resolve inter-group rivalry, enhance substance-use prevention and positive peer engagement, and improve institutional early-warning and disciplinary mechanisms to reduce hooliganism in African universities.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dickson Okoree Mireku, Brandford Bervell, Emmanuel Abeku Essel, Priscilla Obiribea-Addo, Jacob Owusu Sarfo, Mark Kwaku Owusu Amponsah, Andrews Baidoo (Author)
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