Attachment Security, Gender, and Teenage Social Development: A survey of Public Secondary Schools in Kiambu County, Kenya
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Teenage is a crucial stage of development marked by significant changes in social interactions, the formation of personal identity, and attachment needs. This study sought to investigate the effect of attachment security on teenage social development and to determine whether gender variations exist among students in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study adopted correlational research design. The target population comprised students from five selected public secondary schools in Kiambu Township Constituency, with a total population of 5,400 students. A total of 375 students participated in the study. Data was gathered using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations were used to examine patterns of distribution, while chi-square tests were applied to determine the significance of associations between attachment security, social development, and gender. Results revealed a statistically significant relationship between attachment security and teenage social development χ²(1) = 13.50, p < .01. There was a statistically significant gender variations in attachment security, χ²(1,) = 6.99, p<.01. However, gender did not significantly differentiate teenagers’ levels of social development, χ²(1) = 0.07, p>.05. The study concluded that attachment security constitutes a significant determinant of teenage social development among students in public secondary schools in Kiambu County, Kenya, with male and female teenagers experiencing and internalizing attachment relationships differently. Therefore, parents and caregivers should be sensitized on the importance of emotionally responsive and supportive parenting practices, while schools integrate attachment-informed psychosocial interventions and guidance programs.
Authors: Caroline Mbochi, Amos Keya Alumada
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223471580