ORPHANHOOD EFFECT ON PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS’ INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN KENYA

In Kenya, orphanhood has risen and affected many children among them primary school pupils. A parent's death may affect children's psychological well being. There is a close coherence between children's psychological well-beings and their interpersonal relationships. Children who have poor psychological well-being are likely to be withdrawn, experience low self-esteem and have poor adaptations to human functioning and life experiences. These conditions affect their relations with others hence become deviants. A literature gap exists in Kenya on orphanhood's effect children's relations with other pupils thus motivating the authors to come up with such a study. Thus, the objective of the study was to establish the influence of orphanhood on pupils' interpersonal relationships in public primary schools by comparing the mean scores in pupils' interpersonal relationships between the orphaned and the non-orphaned pupils. Also, establish whether gender differences exist in interpersonal relationships between the orphaned pupils. Causal-Comparative research design was considered appropriate for the study because of the comparison of groups. A sample of 110 pupils (55 orphaned and 55 non-orphaned) drawn from 10 primary schools was involved in the study. The pupils were drawn from primary classes 6 and 7. The sample was selected by using purposive and stratified random sampling procedures. A questionnaire was used to collect data which was analyzed by use of independent sample t-test. The study established that orphanhood has a significant effect on interpersonal relationships among pupils in primary schools in Kenya. It was also established that significant gender differences exist in the effect that orphanhood exert on pupils; with boys being more affected than the girls. From the findings, it is evident that absence of parents negatively affect the interpersonal skills of children particularly the boy-child. Such children need counseling interventions to counter these effects. It is therefore recommended that school counselors, teachers and school administrators in Kenya should assist orphaned pupils cope with the loss of their parents by offering psychological and social support to them. This is because the poor interpersonal relationships of orphaned pupils may affect various aspects of their lives that include academics and discipline among others.