Abstract:
There have been growing concerns about the increasing
manifestations of deviant behaviours manifesting themselves in
the form of maladjusted behaviours among students in Kenya.
Such behaviours have continued to lower the academic
achievement among learners and the effects go on to affect the
nation. These behaviours have an impact on the kind of citizens
the country will eventually have and has continued to produce. It
is important to shed more light on the causal factors hence find a
defined way of dealing with this behaviour by determining its
antecedents. The purpose of this study was to address this gap by
examining the influence of family type and parental involvement
on the student deviant behaviours in Kericho County, Kenya.
The objective of this study was to identify the variables of the
family type and parental involvement, and their influence on the
student deviant behaviour. The study was anchored on Urie
Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory of Human Development.
A sample size of 300 respondents was used from a target study
population size [N] of 125650.These were students studying in
secondary schools of Kericho County. The study adopted a
quantitative research design. Stratified random sampling was
used to select schools included in the study, the informants of the
study were selected purposively. The data for the study was
obtained through questionnaires. The reliability of the
instrument was ascertained using a pilot study on four schools
which would not be included in the final study. Cronbach
Alpha’s measure of internal consistency yielded a reliability
coefficient of 0.84. Expert judgment and peer reviews were used
to determine validity of the research instruments. Multiple
regression was used as the data analysis method. Results of the
study indicated a positive and significant relationship between
the family type, parental involvement and the prevalence of the
student deviant behaviour. The implication therefore is, parents
ought to be sensitized on their critical role as members of the
family unit in alleviating student deviant behaviours and thereby
promoting academic achievement. If parents showed more
involvement in the lives of their children both at home and at
school, then deviant behaviour would be alleviated or minimized.
The study recommends that the family type and parental
involvement must be considered if at all the student deviant
behaviours in Kericho County should minimize.
