Relationship between Perceptions of Inter-parental Conflicts and Involvement in Delinquent Behaviours among Selected Kenyan Adolescent Students

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between adolescents’ perceptions of parents’ behaviours and their involvement in nonillegal and minor illegal delinquent behaviours in Secondary Schools, Nairobi Kenya. The study adopted a co-relational survey design. Questionnaires and a behaviour check list were used to gather data among students selected by stratified and simple random sampling. Data analysis was done by doing correlation. The findings showed that, perceived parental conflicts and non-illegal delinquent behaviours was r (.157**) = .001, p < .01), while the correlation between perceived parental conflicts and minor-illegal behaviour was r (.049) = .325, p >.01, and parental conflicts and generalised delinquency was r (.124) = .012, p <.01. That is, there was significant positive relationship between high level Inter-parental conflicts and adolescents’ involvement in non-illegal delinquent behaviours and generalised delinquency. However, inter-parental conflicts are not significantly related to adolescents’ involvement in minor-illegal delinquent behaviours. The study recommended parental psycho-education in schools toward reducing conflicts and preventive and remedial counselling for adolescents involved in delinquency or exposed to the conflicts.