Investigation of Ways to Mitigate The Effects of Trauma Among Adolescents A Case Study of A Centre in Village 2 of Mathare Slums, Nairobi County

Abstract

Trauma is a disturbing and distressing experience in life and has an emotional response due to terrible events such as accidents, rape and natural disasters. After an event and shock, denial is evident and long-term reactions which include unpreceded emotions. The purpose of the study was to investigate the ways of mitigating the effects of trauma among adolescents in the Redeemed Gospel Church Program (RGCP) centre in Village 2 of Mathare slums Nairobi County in Kenya. Mathare slums, where the centre is located, was marred with the post-election violence of 2008 and is prone to all kinds of abuses and disease outbreaks, and poverty. The research objectives were to assess the parental awareness of the effects of trauma among adolescents, the effects of different forms of trauma, and the ways of mitigating the effects of trauma among adolescents in the R.G.C.P. centre in village 2 of Mathare slums, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was guided by trauma-focused cognitive behavioural theory and psychoanalytic theories. The target population was 120 adolescents ages 12-19. and the study sample was 92 from the RGCP centre of village 2 in Mathare slums. The centre comprises a manager, 2 social workers, 3 part-time teachers, and 350 children and adolescents, The study will benefit the centre workers, the government, and the counsellors. The research was a descriptive study design, random sampling was used to select the sample size, and ones to participate in the study. The study sampled 92 adolescents, which was determined through the Krejercie Morgan table where the corresponding number of the target population was the sample size as explained in chapter three on sample determination. The research instruments were structured questionnaires and an interview guide for data collection for the social workers and part-time teachers. The data collected was entered and cleaned of errors and analysed statistically using a statistical package for social science (SPSS 23) computer application. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, and percentages, were used to analyse the data collected. Charts, graphs, and tables were used to present the study findings diagrammatically. The study findings revealed majority of the parents knew the effects of trauma amongst adolescents of the centre. On the forms of trauma, the respondents named emotional, abuse, psychological, violence, and disasters among others. On recommendations on interventions for mitigating the effects of trauma almost half of the respondents suggested, that educating parents on the effects of trauma and empowering respondents and also having a resident counsellor in the centre.