Influence of guidance and counselling services on management of drug abuse among secondary school students: A case of Bahati Division of Nakuru District, Kenya

Abstract

Drug abuse in secondary schools in Kenya has been on the increase and identified as one of the major causes of indiscipline and unrest among students. The marked increase in consumption of both illegal and legal drugs in schools is continually highlighted in the local press media. The Ministry of Education and National Campaign against Drugs Abuse (NACADA) have shown great concern about the effects of this menace. This study sought to determine the infleunce of guidance and counselling on management of students’ drug abuse with special reference to Bahati Division. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design. It targeted all the 47 secondary schools with a student population of 7767 and 472 teachers. A random sample of 120 students, ten teacher counsellors and ten head teachers were selected from ten schools. Data was collected through administration of questionnaires to the selected respondents. The collected data was then processed and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 11.5 for windows. Descriptive statistics used included frequencies, percentages, tables, pie charts, bar graphs and cross-tabulations, while inferential statistics involved the use of chi square which was tested at = 0.05 significance level. The study findings indicate that cheap and easily available drugs were the most commonly used types of drugs among secondary school students. The common drugs used, which included alcohol and cigarette, were considered legal and generally accepted in the society. Most schools had the necessary management mechanisms to curb drug abuse among their students. Proper implementation and utilization of guidance and counselling services had a positive effect in the management of drug abuse among secondary school students. Guidance and counselling services were related to low level of drug taking in schools. Male students being the most vulnerable group to drug abuse were more targeted for guidance and counselling on drug abuse in secondary schools. These study findings are fundamental to policy makers responsible for the positive development of secondary school students in the country including the Ministry of Education, school administrators, teacher counsellors, students, parents and the entire society. While the study recommends development of more specific drug abuse management mechanisms targeting students, the important role played by guidance and counselling services in controlling the habit in schools is vividly highlighted.