An Exploration of The Psychosocial Factors Precipitating Crime Among Women in Kenya: A Case of Lang’ata Women’s Prison
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Date
2014-12
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Publisher
Daystar University, School of Applied Human Sciences
Abstract
With the phenomenon of women and crime in the Kenyan society there is need to understand what exactly is happening. The present study explored the psychosocial factors causing women to commit crimes. The study was done at the Lang’ata Women’s Prison. The study was guided by three specific objectives, namely to find out the common crimes committed by women who have been incarcerated at Langata Women’s Prison, to identify the psychosocial factors that drove these women into crime and to determine how these psychosocial factors influenced women into crime. The study employed a mixed research design approach. A sample of 59 respondents was conveniently sampled from a total population of 349 convicted women. The respondents were drawn from different crime categories and age groups. Each respondent filled a questionnaire. Descriptive and thematic analyses were the main methods used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that there was high offending among women of low education level. Moreover, it showed that there was a high offending among women of ages 18 to 50 years but low offending among women of 51 years and above. The study suggested that lack of money, the issue of taking care of children or family and facilitating their needs were the main causes of women involving themselves in theft and drug crimes. The results indicated that spousal violence and abuse directly or indirectly made women to commit crimes. The study revealed that family dysfunctions were a major cause in promoting criminal behaviour among women. Overall the study found out that indeed childhood abuse, spousal violence and abuse, social environment, interactions, reinforcements and general strain in life led women into criminal activity.
Description
MASTER OF ARTS Counselling Psychology
Keywords
women and crime, psychosocial factors, Langata Women’s Prison
Citation
Ayieta, F. J. (2014). An Exploration of The Psychosocial Factors Precipitating Crime Among Women in Kenya: A Case of Lang’ata Women’s Prison. Daystar University, School of Applied Human Sciences