The Relationship Between Parenting Style and Crime Among Youths in Informal Settlements in Hananasif (Dar-es-salaam-tanzania)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the relationship between parenting style and crime among the youths living in Hananasif slum in Dar-es-Salaam. Crime is one of the major social encounters affecting most nations of the world today. Majority of the criminal incidents have been documented mainly in the urban areas as compared to the rural areas. (UN Habitat, 2009). In Tanzania, criminal and violent acts are reported and viewed as ‘normal’ occurrences in the slum communities. This is due to the fact that slum dwellers experience major challenges that prompt them to get involved in illegal businesses and crime related cases. Youth living in the slum areas face challenging situations that lead them to get involved in crime. Largely due to the kind of lifestyle they find themselves entrapped in, hence having no option or choice but to continue indulging in criminal activities, for example, initiation into criminal gangs through threats or coercion. Parents and families are the single most important influence in the lives of young people. Since most families in the slum areas are single-headed or child-headed, parenting style is drastically affected and it leads to lack of proper upbringing in many families involved in such categories. The youth stage, which is a critical stage between childhood and adulthood, demands proper and adequate guidance and a surrounding full of role models to influence the youth positively for their benefit in the future. The research involved qualitative data collection methods using the in-depth interviewing that involves semi-structured techniques. The interviews sought to cover both a factual and a meaning level of the study and was useful in getting the story behind participants’ experiences. It gave participants’ the opportunity to respond more elaborately and in greater detail while the researcher had the opportunity to respond straightaway to what participants reported by tailoring subsequent questions to information the participant has provided. The findings revealed that parenting styles have negative relationship to involvement to crime among youths in Hananasif slums. It was also established that aspects of communication, regulations and decision making are not well adhered to among the youths. However, most of them denied being involved in crimes such as damaging properties, stealing and acts of misconduct. It was also established that peer pressure has the highest probability of influencing the youths to engage in crimes within the slums. Thus, it was recommended that parents to enhance their engagement with their children while the youths on the other hand to open and share more and form self-help groups to assist each other socially and economically.