Teenage Boys’ Resilience on Drug and Substance Abuse

A Case Study of Kabete High School in Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

Research has shown that the trend of teenagers engaging in drug and substance
abuse is on the rise. In spite of the increase of male adolescents abusing drugs, a situation
that escalated during the Covid-19 break, it is perplexing that some boys have been resilient
to overcome the challenge, though exposed to the same risk factors as those who abuse drugs
and substances. Therefore, using an interpretive framework, the aim of this research was to
document the lived experience of these teenage boys who have managed to avoid engaging in
drug and substance abuse. The main research question was: How have male teenagers in
Kabete High School in Kiambu County overcome the challenge of drug and substance abuse
despite their vulnerability? The research adapted the Problem-Behavior theory of Jessor and
Jessor in line with variables in the thematic framework. A public boys’ high school was
selected for this study. The sampled population comprised 5 male teenagers who were
purposely selected for the interview. Further, a focus group discussion of 6 students was
carried out and the deputy principal was interviewed. The methodology used was a
qualitative case study which was anchored on lived experiences; observation guides and field
notes were used to collect data. Emerging themes that were identified are: Challenging
home environment, parental control, positive self-concept of the participants, avoidance of
negative peer influence, and faith in God. These themes have been discussed in the paper and
recommendations given.