Relationship Between Parenting Styles and Behavioral Traits Among Pupils in Imenti North Sub-County; Meru County, Kenya

Understanding a child’s development, particularly during the early teenage years, is crucial for promoting positive behavioral traits. Parenting style play a significant role in shaping children’s behavior during this phase. While numerous studies have explored the influence of parenting on children’s growth and development, few has focused on the direct relationship between specific parenting style and behavioral traits, especially in regions like Imenti North Sub-County, Meru County. The study sought to explore how authoritarian parenting style relates to the behavioral traits of children in their early teenage years, with a specific focus on Imenti North. The region’s unique socio-economic and cultural context offered an opportunity to study the local impact of authoritarian parenting style on children’s behavior, an area where research was previously limited. The study adopted a correlational research design, grounded in Bowlby’s Attachment Theory (1969). The study targeted 400 pupils from five primary schools in Imenti North Sub-County, with the accessible population consisting of pupils in Grades 6 and 7. Simple random sampling was employed to select participants, ensuring fair representation and minimizing bias. A pilot study was conducted in Imenti South to test the clarity and reliability of research instruments. Data was gathered using both qualitative and quantitative methods, including pupil questionnaires and teacher interviews. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, and multiple regression techniques through SPSS version 21.0. The results revealed that authoritarian parenting style was linked to anxiety, low motivation, and emotional withdrawal amog children. The study concludes that authoritarian parenting style posed risks to pupils’ emotional and academic adjustment. Based on these findings, the study recommends that parents adopt other less authoritaian practices, combining both warmth and structure to promote healthy development. Teachers were encouraged to identify and support at-risk pupils and collaborate with parents through forums and guidance programs. Policymakers are urged to integrate parenting education into community and school-based initiatives. Ultimately, the study contributes to critical insights into how parenting approaches influence early adolescent behavior in the Kenyan context and provides practical recommendations for strengthening home-school partnerships to support pupil development.