ARSON ATTACKS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE SURVIVORS: A CASE OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Arson in high schools is a global phenomenon. In Kenya, the history goes back to 1908. To date, no solution has been found. In June and July 2016, more than 130 high schools were set on fire and this elicited a national outcry. Fires destroy property, death, and psychological trauma to those affected and cost the economy millions of shillings in repairs, relocation to other facilities, replacement of lost items, and reconstruction. The primary objective of the research was to determine the relationship between safety awareness, preparedness, psychological adjustment of the survivors of arson attacks in high schools in Nairobi County and to determine how this relationship is influenced by the manifestation of symptomatology and management of symptomatology and psychological adjustment. Specifically, the study was governed by the following objectives: to determine the relationship between safety awareness, preparedness, and psychological adjustment; assess the relationship between safety awareness, preparedness, and the manifestation of symptomatology, investigate the relationship between the manifestation of symptomatology and psychological adjustment; find out the moderating influence of management of symptomatology on the relationship between the manifestation of symptomatology adjustment. This research adopted a descriptive survey design to execute it. Snowball sampling technique was applied. The study population will comprise of high schools including students. The study will use self-administered questionnaires for students to collect data. Quantitative data will be analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics then statistical package for social sciences. The hypothesis will be analyzed by Pearson product-moment, Correlations (r), and stepwise regression technique. Qualitative data from open-ended questions were read, paying attention to ideas, documents, and concepts from respondents. Fieldnotes were edited and written based on content and theme and analyzed accordingly. The study adopted a social support theory. The theory states that the support an individual survivor receives from the social networks boosts the individual survivors' resilience and promotes health wellness and psychological adjustment. There is a relationship between social support and individual health. The outcome of the study will have implications for policy and theory. On policy, the study helped to identify gaps in the current understanding of arson survivors in schools and will assist education planners, administrators, and those responsible for education in the formulation of an adequate policy framework. In practice, the study will serve as the basis for future researchers, academics, managers, and individual survivors. Parents will benefit consistently in handling the youths, in turn, the youths will understand how to maintain peace and order, maintain an environment conducive for learning. Finally, the findings of the study will be able to support and extend studies on social support, health wellbeing, and functioning.

Keywords: Safety Awareness, Preparedness, Management Of Symptomatology, Arson Attacks