Thesis:

Influence of personality traits on domestic gender based abuse among prisoners in Kiambu county, Kenya

Domestic gender based abuse is a world-wide health issue and is the foremost widespread form of abuse. The prevalence of domestic gender based abuse in Kenya is about 39% and is heavily exacerbated by individuals‘ personality traits and their past experiences. The purpose of this research was to determine the prevalence of domestic gender based abuse among prisoners in Kiambu County, Kenya, to investigate the Influence of personality traits on domestic gender based abuse among Prisoners in Kiambu County, Kenya. The objectives were; to determine how openness influences domestic gender based abuse, to establish the relationship between conscientiousness and domestic gender based abuse, to investigate the extent to which extroversion affect domestic gender based abuse, to determine the extent to which agreeableness affects domestic gender based abuse and to determine the relationship between neuroticism and domestic gender based abuse. The study location was prisons in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study used a correlational research design. The theory that informed the study was McLeod‘s Five Factor Model. The target population was 10,334 inmates convicted of domestic related crimes. To select a sample size of 370 participants, a random sampling was used. Data collected using questionnaires. Using the Pearson correlation test, Hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that 75.7% of the inmates experienced domestic gender based abuse. with 85.7% of female inmates reporting that they experienced domestic gender based abuse compared with male inmates who reported at 75%. The study found that 22.8% inmates with openness personality trait were cautious, consistent, and conservative while 77.2% were curious, inventive, and imaginative. The study also found that 41.8% inmates with conscientiousness personality were easy going, disorganized and perhaps careless, while 57.8% were efficient, disciplined and well organized. The study further found that 66.2% of inmates with extroversion personality had a more solidary, quiet, and reserved trait while 33.5% had an outgoing, friendly, and energetic, trait. The findings also demonstrate that 49.5% inmates with agreeableness personality type had a more detached, proud, and uncooperative trait while 49.8% had a friendly, good natured and compassionate trait. The study found domestic gender based abuse is due to the extroversion and neuroticism personality traits. The study concluded that forgiveness and reconciliation, family counselling, and education of the male child to appreciate women responsibilities in the family and society are strategies that can be adopted to reduce occurrences of domestic gender based abuse in society. The study recommends personality testing of inmates to determine those with extroversion and neuroticism personality traits associated with abuse for further counseling on anger management strategies as they are vulnerable to perpetrating domestic gender based abuse.