The Relationship Betweenparentalattachmentstyle, Family Socioeconomic Statusand Deviant Behaviouramong Secondary School Students Inhomabay County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Deviance has devastating effects on the individual and the community as a whole. The

purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between parental attachment,

family socioeconomic status and deviant behavior among secondary school students in

Homabay County. The study was guided by the following objectives: to assess the

relationship between parental attachment styles and deviant behavior among secondary

school students; to evaluate the relationship between family socioeconomic status and

deviant behavior, to determine the mediative role of SES in the relationship between

parental attachment style and deviant behavior and; to examine gender differences in

deviant behavior among secondary school students. The study adopted attachment theory

by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth together with Structural Strain Theory by Robert

Merton. The study employed convergent research design. The target population included

form two students from all the secondary schools in Homabay County, heads of guidance

and counseling department, Deputy principals, Principals and selected members of

parents’ association. Out of the population of 20,160 students a representative sample of

512 students was sampled using stratified random sampling technique. Principals,

Deputies, Parents’ association representatives and heads of departments were purposively

sampled. Instruments for data collection included questionnaires, structured and

unstructured interview schedules, focus group discussions and analysis of documents

from the sampled schools. Instruments were then piloted. The validity of these

instruments was ascertained through expert judgment and piloting while the reliability of

the instruments was tested using the Split half method and the level of confidence was α

≤ 0.05. Data was analyzed using correlation analysis, t-test analysis and thematic

framework. The findings revealed significant negative correlation between parental

attachment style and deviant behavior (r = -0.244, p