Mediating Effect of Psychosocial Support on Relationship Between Parental Mentorship and Teenage Delinquency in Presbyterian Churches in Kawangware, Dagoretti Subcounty, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Teenage delinquency constitutes great concern in the contemporary world. This study sought to investigate the mediating effect of psychosocial support on relationship between parental mentorship and teenage delinquency in Presbyterian Churches in Kawangware, Dagoretti Sub-County, Nairobi, Kenya. The specific objectives were: to examine the prevalence of teenage delinquency; to investigate the role of parental mentorship on teenage delinquency, to assess the extent to which psychosocial support mediates the relationship between parental mentorship and teenage delinquency, and to establish the possible interventions to teenage delinquency. The study was anchored on Psychological Wellbeing Theory and the Social Control Theory. The study employed embedded mixed-methods research design. The target population comprised 277 teenagers drawn from three Presbyterian Church of East Africa assemblies in Kawangware. A stratified sample of 164 teenagers was recruited for this study. Data was collected using the Mentoring Function Questionnaire, Ryff’s Psychological WellBeing Scale, and Self-Reported Delinquency Scale. In-depth interviews were also administered on 20 parents to corroborate the quantitative data. Quantitative data was analysed using multiple linear regression using SPSS version 25. Qualitative data was analyzed using Nvivo version 12. Results showed that theft emerged as the most prevalent delinquent behavior (M = 2.76), followed by truancy (M = 2.58) and violent behavior (M = 2.28). Educational support was the most manifest form of parental mentorship (M = 4.23, SD = 0.95), followed by role-modelling (M = 4.08, SD = 0.85), and lastly, psychosocial support (M = 3.87, SD = 0.98). Parental mentorship significantly explained approximately 19.8% of the variance in teenage delinquency (R² = .198, p<.05). The regression coefficient for parental mentorship was negative and significant (B = -0.341, p < .05), suggesting that higher levels of parental mentorship are associated with lower levels of teenage delinquency. Qualitative interviews highlighted the theme of value-based and practical mentorship as encouraging positive choices. However, while parental mentorship accounted for approximately 52.9% of the variance in psychosocial support (R² = .529, p<.05), psychosocial support did not significantly mediate the relationship between parental mentorship and teenage delinquency (p>.05). Environmental influence and peer pressure were highlighted by parents as playing a key role in adolescent delinquency. Thematic analysis yielded three complimentary psychosocial intervention themes: Youth Empowerment and Practical Engagement Programs, Value-Based Guidance, and Strengthening Family Relationships. It was recommended that effective psychosocial interventions should center on structured- collective youth empowerment initiatives, moral instruction, and the strengthening of parent-teen relationships. Since adolescent delinquency is a concern that spans across all social classes, and in light of the unique social and economic challenges in Kawangware and similar urban informal settlements, future research should turn attention to adolescents hailing within socioeconomically endowed families.