RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GRIEF AND CONDUCT DISORDER AMONG STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NJORO SUB-COUNTY, NAKURU COUNTY, KENYA

Purpose of Study: To examine the relationship between grief and conduct disorder among students in public secondary schools in Njoro Sub-County, Nakuru County, Kenya. Problem Statement: Grief following the loss of a parent, guardian, or sibling profoundly affects students’ emotional well-being and behavior in public secondary schools. Conduct disorder among students in Kenya’s public secondary schools has become a serious concern, manifesting in behaviors such as high absenteeism, defiance towards teachers, bullying, and drug abuse. Methodology: The study employed correlational research design and targeted 24,858 comprising student population 24,515, class teachers 196, school principals 49, and 49 heads of counseling departments from 49 public secondary schools in Njoro Sub-County. The sample size comprised 467 respondents from 13 public secondary schools, 393 students, 35 class teachers, 13 Principals and 13 Heads of Counseling departments. The study employed standardized questionnaires to collect quantitative data from student population, while qualitative data was obtained through Key Informant interviews with school administrators, class teachers and teacher counselors. The collected data was analyzed with the aid of SPSS software version 29.0 using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Simple linear regression analysis revealed a positive and statistically significant relationship between loss and grief and conduct disorder, with grief explaining 47.3% of the variation in conduct disorder among students, R² = 0.473, F = 341.106, p = 0.000. The fitted model was expressed as Conduct Disorder = 0.694 + 0.512(Loss and Grief), meaning that a one-unit increase in loss and grief was expected to cause a 0.512-unit increase in conduct disorder. Recommendation: Public secondary schools should strengthen grief counseling, early identification of bereaved students, teacher sensitization, peer support systems, parental involvement, and referral mechanisms to reduce grief-related conduct difficulties among learners. Keywords: Grief, Bereavement, Conduct Disorder, Students, Public Secondary Schools, Kübler-Ross Grief Theory, Ecological Systems Theory, Njoro Sub-County