Societal factors and behaviour maladjustment of the boy-child: a case of boys in selected rehabilitation institutions in Nairobi and Kiambu counties, Kenya
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Date
2014
Authors
Mvungu, Eunice Njeri
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Throughout much of history and across cultures, greater value has been placed on the male child. This is because of the roles he was presumed to take in the family and the society at large. Despite the high premium in which the boy-child is held, he has been internationally and locally featured causing havoc to the same people he is expected to be providing security to. The purpose of this study was to establish the societal factors that contributed to the behaviour maladjustment of the boy-child in selected rehabilitation institutions in Nairobi and Kiambu Counties, Kenya. The study looked at the role of parenting, society and peers on behaviour maladjustment of the boy-child. In addition, the study sought to find out what needs to be done to encourage pro-social behaviour among boys with behaviour maladjustment. The study was guided by social learning and psychosocial stages theories. To achieve the purpose of the study, ex post facto design was used. Purposive sampling was used to select three boys’ rehabilitation institutions while convenience sampling was used to select 92 boys, three institutional managers, nine rehabilitation staff and nine boys’ parents/guardians. A questionnaire and interviews were used to collect the data. Quantifiable data was coded and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) whereas qualitative data was analysed using thematic descriptions. Statistical Analysis System (SAS) which gives output similar to SPSS was used in testing the hypotheses for this study. The findings are presented as per themes pertinent to the research questions. The study established that parenting and models in the society contributed to the boy-child’s behaviour maladjustment. Two parenting and two society related variables were found to be statistically associated with the outcome variable of maladaptive behaviour at (p=0.014 and p=0.04) and p=0.05 and p=0.017 respectively. However, the test found peers to have no significant influence on the behaviour of the boy-child which contradicts other past studies that have mostly found peers to influence each others’ behaviour. To encourage pro-social behaviour, effective parenting approaches and appropriate role modelling at family and society levels which could be achieved through Psycho-education for parents on responsible parenting was suggested. Based on the study findings, the following recommendations were given: i) Counseling for both the boy-child and the parents/guardians, ii) Empower parents/guardians through psycho-education, iii) Economic empowerment for the parents, iv) Psycho-education for the parents and the rest of the society. It is hoped that the findings of this study have shed some light to the society on some of the factors responsible for the behaviour maladjustment exhibited by the boy-child thus, embrace appropriate parenting and positive role modelling
Description
Department of Psychology, 164p. 2014, HN 420.5 .M82K4