School of Social Sciences

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Browsing School of Social Sciences by Subject "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder"

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    Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Delinquent Behavior among Juveniles at Kampiringisa Rehabilitation Centre
    (Uganda Christian University, 2025) Winnie Kisakye Nantabo
    Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with an increased risk of delinquent behavior in adolescents. Studies suggest that childhood trauma can lead to behavioral problems (Kilpatrick et al., 2003). With the complex relationship between PTSD and delinquent behavior, more research is needed to understand the driving forces. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between PTSD and delinquent behavior in adolescents at Kampiringisa Rehabilitation Centre. The objectives of the study were (i) to identify the nature of traumatic violence experienced by the juveniles during their childhood, (ii) to understand the perceived motivations for delinquent behavior among juveniles with PTSD, and (iii) to establish whether there was a relationship between PTSD and delinquent behavior. The research design was a mixed study using sequential explanatory design. The population was the 200 adolescents at KNRC. No validity evidence was collected for the PTSD Reaction Index for DSM-IV-Adolescent Version as the instrument was already adopted and validated. The reliability of the tool according to Cronbach’s alpha for the full scale is 0.90, indicating excellent reliability meaning the items are highly consistent in measuring PTSD symptoms. Its test-retest reliability shows strong reliability with 0.84 for full scale, 0.78 for Intrusion, 0.78 for Avoidance, and 0.73 for Hyperarousal. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires, while qualitative data were through Key Informant Interviews, and Focus Group Discussions with a response rate of 97%. A simple random sampling was done using Morgan’s sample size table, followed by homogeneous sampling to collect qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS and qualitative data using Hyper Research. Integration was done at the interpretation and reporting level and the fit of integration was examined. The study established that although 92.8% of adolescents were abused by their caregivers in childhood, the relationship between PTSD and delinquent behavior though present was not statistically significant. The study recommends that every child’s response to trauma should be recognized, and children provided with psychological therapy to enable them process negative emotions and cope with deep psychological trauma.