Contribution Of Family Structure To Commission Of Crimes Among Juveniles In Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

Incidences of juvenile crime have increased in recent years in Kenya. At the same time incarcerated youth return to the justice system at alarmingly high rates. Minority youth make up approximately two-thirds of the youth in the juvenile justice system. Total juvenile arrest rates peaked in 2010 at 9,443 per 100,000 youth aged 10 to 17 and fell by one-third in 2008 (to 6,318 per 100,000). This trend has however changed with the current juveniles in custody having increased by over 60 percent (2008 – 2012) from 6,318 to 13,108 per 100,000. This situation may not be different with Uasin Gishu County. One of the major factors to this trend could be attributed to the family structure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of family structure on committing of crimes among juveniles in Uasin Gishu County. The objectives of the study were: to determine the influence of family stability on committing of crimes among juveniles in Uasin Gishu County; to examine the extent to which family adaptability influences committing of crimes among juveniles in Uasin Gishu County and to establish the extent to which family cohesiveness influences committing of crimes among juveniles in Uasin Gishu County. The study was guided by the Broken Homes theory by Wilkinson (1969) and Social Control theory by Hirschi (2010). The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population comprised heads of the remand homes, children officers and all the children (male and female) admitted at the Eldoret Children Remand Home. The study used a sample size of 99 which included 83 children aged 9-17 ages in Remand homes, 10 officers from the children’s department and 6 heads of Remand Home. The study used all the 83 children, all children officers and remand home officers. The study employed the use of key informant interview schedules and focused group discussions as the main data collection methods. Reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha while validity was tested through expert opinion. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented using tables and figures. Verbatim transcription was used to analyze qualitative data. The study findings indicated that the type and extent of interaction between a child and his or her family members is important to understanding the relationship between the child's family structure and his or her delinquent behavior. Parenting practices during the early years and later in adolescence appear to act as buffers preventing delinquent behavior and assisting adolescents involved in such behavior to desist from juvenile crime and that there is an association between family socialization and committing of juvenile crimes. The study concluded that unity of the family members has an influence of juvenile crime; children with both parents have few cases of juvenile crimes; family affection influences committing of crimes among juveniles; there is an association between family socialization and committing of juvenile crimes and that family relation affects the committing of crimes by the juveniles. The level of exposure to violence at home plays a part in persons who engage in violent acts. The study concluded that it is important to understand that the relationship between parents and the juveniles in terms of intimacy and communication since they are strongly related to the committing of delinquent acts.