| dc.description.abstract | This study employed a qualitative research design and 10 in-depth interviews with key
informants were conducted. Participants were purposively selected. Selection was focused
respondents considered to have relevant information and knowledge about child empowerment.
Data collected was analysed through thematic data analysis. The study results show that the
participants understood child empowerment differently, because of COVID-19 pandemic. The
study established several dangers that result from failure to empower the boy child such as
alcoholism, drug abuse, burglary, robbery, suicide, rape, defilement, school dropouts, early
marriages, teenage pregnancies, single motherhood, separation, and divorce. Children that are
not empowered experience emotional difficulties, have suicidal thoughts, nightmares, think of
revenging, and experience moments of denial. Lessons from the study points at the need for
strong community wide campaigns aimed at addressing various local meanings on empowering
the boy child and reconciling these meanings with global definitions. Such campaigns should
be intentional at explaining the various risk factors for the boy child not being empowered so
that parents and other community stakeholders address them. | en_US |
