Assessing the Effectiveness of Diversion Programmes in Promoting Behavioral Change among Child Offenders in Kakamega County, Kenya

Authors

  • Chinemeze Marizu Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology
  • Erick Ater Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology
  • Patricia Kariaga Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology

Abstract

Diversion programmes offer child offenders alternatives to formal judicial proceedings by emphasizing transformation rather than punishment. This study assessed the effectiveness of diversion programmes in transforming child offenders in Kakamega County, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design and relied solely on quantitative data collected from 180 children placed on diversion between 2021 and 2022. The analysis focused on key types of diversion interventions, including therapeutic psychosocial counselling, educational support, institutional vocational training, placement in host families, and restorative justice mediation. The findings indicated that counselling was the most frequently accessed service (68.9%), followed by restorative justice (51.7%), vocational training (39.4%), and educational support (36.7%). Logistic regression analysis showed that all five diversion programme components had a statistically significant influence on the positive transformation of child offenders. Therapeutic counselling had the highest impact (odds ratio = 5.92), followed by educational support (odds ratio = 4.75), placement in host families (3.46), institutional vocational training (2.43), and restorative justice mediation (2.10). Most respondents strongly agreed on the effectiveness of psychosocial and educational interventions, while perceptions of institutional vocational training were more divided. The study concludes that structured diversion strategies grounded in transformative and restorative principles significantly contribute to the behavioral transformation and social reintegration of child offenders. It recommends the expansion of psychosocial and educational services, improvement of vocational training quality, and integration of restorative justice approaches across the diversion process. These findings provide valuable insights for enhancing juvenile justice policies and interventions in Kenya and beyond.

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Published

13-11-2025

How to Cite

Marizu, C., Ater , E., & Kariaga , P. (2025). Assessing the Effectiveness of Diversion Programmes in Promoting Behavioral Change among Child Offenders in Kakamega County, Kenya. Eastern Africa Journal of Contemporary Research, 5(2), 145–156. Retrieved from https://eajcr.org/index.php/eajcr/article/view/101

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Chinemeze Marizu, Erick Ater , Patricia Kariaga

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