This research was set up to examine the process of rearing children in high crime environment. The study aimed

at looking at the behavioural patterns of parenting children in high crime environment, determining the

challenges of parenting children in high crime environment in Mbare, establishing the physiological impact of

parenting children in high crime environment in Mbare as well as identifying social support systems that can be

put in place in order to protect children against high crimes. The Self-Determination Theory, Relatedness

Support and attachment theory was used as the theoretical foundation of parenting style in high crime setting.

This study was a quantitative study. The use of case study followed since it enables a lot more conclusive

research since data collection is rather easy. The cases sought in this study were based on the residents in Matapi

Flats in the community of Mbare and its stakeholders and those of the ZRP and education leaders. The size of

The purpose of the research is to view on the obstacles of rearing children in high crime surroundings. Since the

past thirty years, Zimbabwe economic landscape has always shifted to downwards negative index (WHO, 2020).

This comes with a big span of economic crisis and this has a number of implications to the livelihoods of the

community and overall living situation and this led to a number of cases of criminal activities when taking care

of children in high crime communities in the nation. The pushy factors such as, poverty, climate change,

corruption, social inequality and poor governance are attributed as criminal behaviours. This chapter cast a

glance on the study by considering background of the study, statement of the problem, research objectives and

research questions, research purpose, research assumptions, significance of the study, the delimitations and

limitations of the study and definition of terms.

Overall, it has been seen that recently the population of children whose parents are in prison has been on the rise

in most developed and developing nations. As a result, the case of children of imprisoned parents has drawn

utmost interest among the researchers, criminologists, psychologists and community workers (Transparency

International, 2021). This is due to the fact that the rising prison population has resulted in the rising numbers of

children who are living in the areas of high crime too. In other international conventions such as UNICEF, there

has been a lot of discussion of the rights and protection of children by different players and some have been able

to formulate global strategies on how each child`s right is upheld (UNICEF, 2014).

Soares, (2019) suggests that inequalities in terms of increase in income level are associated with the positive

growth of crime. This is blamed on the enhanced concentration of the people in the hands of the few and the few

becomes the easily accessible places of the poor of society. Conversely, Beck (2017), too have conjured that the

index in the land (Nsingo, 2020). One of the push factors that negatively impacted the lives of people, particularly

the low high-density suburb like Mbare in the country, is the increasing poor economic situation prevailing in

the country.

The imbalance of power involving the state, criminal gangs and society in South Africa has been brought about

by the poor parenting of children due to the historical events that led to the political consequences. With the

overcrowding and the absence of residence and facilities in Cape Flats, the demand in job and house created a

place to covert crime gangs as the source of money and protection (Lambrechts, 2022). Child crimes or behaviour

is one of the emerging issues in Pakistan and also in the whole world. Saleem (2021) states that in high crime

areas, when young adults (youths) are locked up in custody, most of these people are overdetained because of

robberies and stealing mobile phones among other petty crimes. The tribal clashes, murder, rape, sodomy are

parental demandingness and responsiveness as these were authoritative parenting style, authoritarian parenting

style and permissive parenting style. There is a direct connection between juvenile delinquency and the type of

behavior of parents that they take to treat their children (Coste, 2018). It is however noted by et.al (2009), that

the parents of young people are increasingly being held responsible of the criminal or delinquent behavior

exhibited by their young ones. Even some of the courts punish the parents because of the thoughtless or antisocial

behavior of children.

In Zimbabwe and more so in the high density residential areas in Mbare, the number of children who have parents

incarcerated has been on the rise. The main reason why it is so is due to it being a village with people who are

in the state of abject poverty living there. The trend that Tyners (2015) have observed is that the population of

the prisoners is increasing by the day in high density suburbs like Mbare suburbs through prisonization. Indeed,

Farrington, 2024).

Consistent with the above, the children of living in high crime environment can be said to have become victims

of circumstances in a society where there are poor social service institutions and in the urban centres there are

poor family institutions of vulnerable children which exposes children to increased levels of social, economic

and psychological vulnerability (Nsingo, 2010). Moreover, not much literature is available regarding the

psychological impact of parenting children in high crime environment in Zimbabwe. The literature that has been

written about the topic is mostly founded in cases given in the developed countries that outline a vast magnitude

of the psychological implications on the children of prisoners. The study in this regard would provide integrated

conceptual and empirical research on psychological impacts of parental involvement of safe environment to

wellbeing of children. The study also aims to raise the issue of the safety of children to prevent the cycle of

helplessness that can become fatal in these societies since the role of parental advisory cannot be undermined in

the upbringing process of any child.

inspired them about the challenges of raising children in high crime environments with reference to Mbare

community.

The study was guided by the following research objectives.

Parenting plays a very important role in the physical, psychological and behavioural growth of the child. Parents

are very crucial in the life of their children. Masud (2018), a clinical psychologist says that three courses are

essential in parenting. To start with, care shields children against harm. Care also involves the enhancement of

emotional and physical health. Secondly, there is control in the meaning of creating and applying limits to

achieve the safety of the children and others as an ever-expanded sphere of action. Thirdly, development is the

task of realizing the potentials of children and deriving benefit of utilising it to the maximum. Parenting comes

into play when it comes to physical and human growth of children in family life and health care education.

Parenting is raising children by the parents. Among the definitions of parenting is the fact that it combines the

process of encouraging and advocating the physical, emotional, social and intellectual growth of a child

throughout their stage as an infant to the stage of adulthood (Scott, 2019). According to Campbell (2017),

adults and last is cultural transmission.

According to Scoop (2021), it is shown that parenting is vital in raising children and developing character and

breeding values in the children as the process of parenting goes on. The building of strong family, strong society

and nation state is also essential. Parenting plays some very crucial roles as explained below. According to York

(2018), the parents act as the initial teacher to a child and the school teachers came in later. The parents are the

ones who shape up the character of a child and instill values to the child. The child is deemed as an entity whom

the parents can mould into what they desire them to be. Responsible children and youth can help in the

development of a good society. The children that are raised now are the youth and the future parents of the new

Parenting matters to enable children to become future responsible citizen. They are not only supposed to develop

character but also teach manners, morals and other values that are essential to sound citizenship. Hazel (2019)

supposes that reduction of crime and antisocial activity in the society depends on good parenting. This is where

parents come in and encourage education among the kids which can later facilitate them to secure a job either in

the government sector or even in the private sector. This minimizes crime in the society. Good parenting imparts

among the key goals of parenting in the present globalized world. They are supposed to be responsible in the

classroom and respect teachers and carry along with other peers. Parenting may be a good tool to raise

responsible young people who will bring about a country building effectively.

they are in distress (Soenens et al., 2017). The ability to be comfortable in the family can enable the children to

seek their parents before they resort to antisocial behavior. The parenting style in high crime environment can

pass the relatedness support theory and could adapt well on socially adequate behaviors when a parent enacts

attachment theory on the parenting style in the setting of high crime is that secure attachment enhances the

survival probability of an individual (Green, 2018). The likelihood of inappropriate attachment is higher in

As shown in figure 1.1 above most of the subjects 42 percent said that violent behaviour is linked in the children

brought up in high crime areas, 29 percent said criminal behaviour, 18 percent said the children are crooks and

11 percent said that the children are unrespectful. The second question was sort to identify the factors that lead

Figure 1.4. Challenges of parenting children in high crime environments

Figure 1.6 Social support systems measures available to safeguard children from high crimes

The research theorizes, the relationship between parenting style and juvenile behaviour on criminal issues on a

large sample size of children of Zimbabwean children in the age group of teens which is a critical age to

intervene and prevent the occurrence of anti-social behaviour and aggression. The establishment of extent and

direction maternal and paternal offending affects childhood behaviour before official interaction with the

criminal justice system will assist in shaping early preventative measures amongst vulnerable youth. The first

is the establishment of the prevalence in the group of various categories of maternal and paternal offending (eg

violent, non-violent). Young offenders have the possibility to create a life in crime but reoffending rates of

those who got serious, long lasting connections after serving their sentences prove to be much lower according

to a long term study going over the ja easy fifty years when it followed juvenile delinquents.

It has also been concluded in the study that parental style is specifically influential in the formation of the

political, administrative and budgetary measures.

The paper establishes that physical neglect refers to non-availability of the basic care to the child like food,

shelter or clothes on a regular basis. Neglects are also exhibited in the form of child abandonment, poor

supervision, and careless attention to the safety of a child. Physical neglect may severely impair the normal

growth and development of the child as this may result in failure to thrive, malnutrition and severe infections.

Educational neglect consists of failure to present a child of mandatory school attendance age to a school or to

school him or her at home, appropriately. Educational neglect may result in a situation where the child does not

learn how to live a normal life and it may be a significant risk to the psychological, emotional, and social

development and well-being of a child especially where the child is not provided with special learning needs.

Girls are likely to be disregarded in education more as compared to boys in most cultures.

It is also the conclusion of the study that the parent child relationship is different when the children are grown

up and the child acts as an individual. The alteration of the relationship because of the changes in development

is explained by the theory of the family changes in life cycle. The early adolescence developmental stage can

interfere with the positive parenting style and also prompt the child to indulge into substance use. A positive

mechanism would be given importance in established family systems, which could revive after being disturbed

and the child will not engage in the exploitation of antisocial use. The reviewed studies have done research on

the notion of parenting styles in relation to their impact on the well-being of the children, yet, they are not specific

to the adopted children. The kind of parenting that had taken place in high crime environment had brought about

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