Influence of children characteristics on the performance of Juvenile rehabilitation centres in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to examine the influence of children's characteristics on the performance of Kenyan juvenile rehabilitation centers. The study was influenced by the Social Disorganization Theory. It also adopted a correlational research design involving a mixed-method approach in both data collection and data analysis. The population consisted of 64 staff working in 6 juvenile rehabilitation institutions in Nakuru County and 409 children admitted to these institutions. Purposive sampling techniques were employed to select the respondents leading to a sample size of 10 staff members and 42 juvenile children. The research instruments were a questionnaire and an interview guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using percentages, frequencies, Pearson correlation independent sample t-test, and ANOVA. Qualitative data were analyzed using the thematic content analysis technique. The results established that the age and gender of the children did not have a significant influence on performance but the children's socio-economic background and family support had a significant influence. The study recommended that the family should be engaged in the rehabilitation process of the children