Interaction between Type and Frequency of Parental Conflict and Level of Social Adjustment of Adolescents in Murang’a County
- June 25, 2019
- Posted by: RSIS
- Category: Psychology
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VI, June 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186
Muriithi Joel Kiambi
PhD Postgraduate Student, Department of Psychology, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Abstract: – Social adjustment problems are emerging problems among the adolescents across the globe. Despite evidence of parental conflicts in Kenyan families, there is scarce literature on the interaction between type and frequency of parental conflict and level of social adjustment of adolescents in Murang’a County. The first specific objective of the study was to establish the type and frequency of parental conflicts among adolescents in Murang’a County. The third objective was to establish the interactions between type and frequency of parental conflict and level of social adjustment of adolescents in Murang’a County. The study was guided by attachment theory. This study employed a descriptive survey design with a quantitative approach. The study target population was 108,774 secondary school students in Murang’a County. A sample size of 400 students was selected. Frequency of parental conflict and type of parental conflict was assessed using the Children’s Perception of Inter-parental Conflict Scale (CPIC) while social adjustment among the students was measured using Social Adjustment Scale. Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was used for data analysis. On type of parental conflicts, the students reported perceiving both constructive and destructive parental conflicts with majority perceiving constructive conflicts. The study showed that 55.8% reported low frequency of parental conflicts while 24.8% reported high frequency. The study revealed that there was a positive and significant relationship between type of parental conflicts perceived and social adjustment of the students. The Pearson (r) correlation coefficient between parental conflicts and both offensive and delinquent behaviours were positive and significant at (r(257) = 0.241, P< 0.05) and (r(260) = 0.171, P< 0.05) respectively. However, the relationship between parental conflicts and pro-social was negative but not significant. The study recommended premarital education and counseling, couples counseling and community awareness creation on the harm of destructive parental conflicts to their entire family.
Keywords: Adolescence, Parental Conflict, Social Adjustment, Offensive and Delinquent Behaviours
