Thesis:

Assessment of the relationship between bullying and Dropout rates among pupils in public primary schools in Sabatia sub-county, Kenya

Research has highlighted the prevalence of bullying and dropout rates in public primary schools, with specific concerns raised in Sabatia Sub County, Kenya. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between different forms of bullying—physical, verbal, and emotional and the incidence of school dropout among pupils in the region. This study was guided by three specific objectives: (1) to determine the relationship between physical bullying and dropout rates, (2) to assess the relationship between verbal bullying and dropout rates, and (3) to establish the relationship between emotional bullying and dropout rates in public primary schools in Sabatia Sub-County. The study was grounded in Group Dynamics Theory, positing that bullying emerges and persist within group contexts, influencing both the victims and the group. Additionally, the study incorporated Social Learning Theory, suggesting that bullying is learned through interactions with peers, where aggression behaviors are reinforced by others in the social environment (Bandura, 1977). These two theories look into both the mechanisms through which bullying occurs in social environments and the impact such victimization can have on a student's choice to leave school. The study employed mixed-methods approach, incorporating a descriptive survey research design. The target population comprised 31,790 pupils from classes 5 to 8 across 100 public primary schools within the sub county, along with 87 students who had dropped out the previous year. Multistage sampling technique was employed in three stages: (1) simple random sampling of 30 public primary schools, (2) saturated sampling of 3,201 pupils in classes 5-8 from the selected schools, and (3) convenience sampling of 6 pupils who had dropped out. Three data collection instruments were utilized: (1) a questionnaire to measure the prevalence of bullying, (2) a document analysis guide to examine dropout rates from school records, and (3) a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guide to gather qualitative insights into the bullying experiences and dropout factors. The instruments were piloted two weeks before the actual data collection, involving 5 schools from the same research area to assess the suitability of the instruments. To ensure validity, three psychology experts evaluated the content and face validity of the instruments, while the test-retest method was employed to assess their reliability. All instruments met the necessary thresholds for validity and reliability. Quantitative data, collected from the questionnaires and document analysis guides, were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentages and frequencies. The study's null hypotheses were tested inferentially using the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient at a 95% confidence level. The study's findings indicated a strong positive correlation between physical bullying and student dropout rates, a moderate positive correlation for verbal bullying, and a weak positive correlation in the case of emotional bullying. From these results, it was concluded that physical and verbal bullying are significant contributors to the high dropout rates observed in the region. Consequently, the study recommends that educational stakeholders formulate and implement effective policies aimed at identifying and addressing all forms of bullying within schools, with the goal of reducing dropout rates in Sabatia Sub-County. v