Influence of parenting styles on child protection services in Igembe Central, Meru County, Kenya

Abstract

Parenting styles shape the well-being, resilience, and vulnerability of children to harm. This study examined the influence of parenting styles on child protection services by combining literature review with empirical evidence from Igembe Central. The research was guided by Baumrind’s Parenting Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, which together explain how parenting behaviors and environmental systems interact to shape child safety and welfare outcomes. A descriptive research design was used with a target population of 52086. A sample size of 381 was selected. The sampling methods used were purposive sampling and simple random sampling. Questionnaires and key informant interviews were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data with a 70.18%. Content analysis was applied to analyze the qualitative data, while descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were applied to the quantitative data. Ethical considerations of anonymity and confidentiality were adhered to. The study found that parenting styles were the strongest predictors of child protection services (β = 0.563, p < 0.001). Specifically, permissive and neglectful parenting styles were positively associated with neglect, early pregnancies, child labor, and drug abuse among children, while authoritative parenting was linked with resilience and reduced vulnerability. The findings align with already existing research showing that authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful parenting styles heighten risks of maltreatment, while authoritative parenting protects against adverse childhood experiences. The study concludes that authoritative parenting enhances protective outcomes and recommends strengthening community-based parenting programs and capacity-building initiatives for caregivers in collaboration with local child protection services.