Delinquency in Urban Kenya Secondary Schools: Implications for Parenting
- July 21, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Education, IJRISS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue VII, July 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186
Delinquency in Urban Kenya Secondary Schools: Implications for Parenting
Dr Scolastica Kariuki-Githinji
Department of Education, Daystar University, Nairobi, Kenya
Abstract:- Adolescents’ delinquency is on the rise in Kenya, yet most of the studies in Kenya have focused on status finding than alleviating the problem among adolescents. This paper is a presentation of the findings on prevalence of adolescents’ delinquency in urban Kenya secondary schools and the implications for parenting. A study was carried out to determine the links between parental behaviors and adolescents’ delinquency with a view to mitigating the parental behaviors associated with teenagers’ anti-social. The research was informed by Baumrind Parenting models theory, Social Control theory and Ego identity versus Role Confusion theory. The study participants comprised 219 female and 191 male students selected through stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The researcher employed self-designed questionnaire and a self-report behavior checklist to gather data which measured adolescents’ perceptions of parents’ behaviors and their delinquent behaviors. A correlational survey design was employed. Parental conflicts significantly positively linked to adolescent non-illegal and generalized delinquency, while parental increased alcohol use positively related to non-illegal and minor-illegal delinquent behaviors at p < .01 (two tailed test). Parenting training, adolescents counselling and behavior surveillance in schools were recommended.
Key Words: Adolescence, Delinquency, Parenting, parenting behaviors
I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The need to explore adolescents’ delinquency emerges from numerous reports among them Gachara and Wasanga (2011), the upsurge in youth delinquency has also been noted by (UNDP, 2017;Munyo, 2013). which showed rising revels of behaviors such as truancy, defying authority, aggressive acts, theft, vandalism, arson, truancy. A study by UN Habitat on Youth and Crime in Nairobi present revealed that that youth constitute majority of persons arrest for crime related to theft, assault, drug possession, mugging and manslaughter using guns, pangs and knives (UN Habitat, 2011).
The Juvenile Justice Geography, Policy, Practice & statistics (JJGPS, 2016) showed that a wide range of non- criminal behaviors by adolescents are grouped as status offences, they include truancy, underage consumption of alcohol and tobacco. In view of the JJGPS, report, many agencies other than juvenile courts are responsible in responding to status offences and states differ in label and behaviors. The JJGPS indicated that discourse on the most appropriate approaches in responding to problem behaviors among the youth is still on.
