Parental external migration and its effects on Adolescent behaviour: A Case study of Nketa 7 Resident Surburb in Bulawayo

Abstract

This project focused on the effects of parental external migration on adolescent behavior as there are a fewer studies that focus on the impact of migration on children left behind in Sub Saharan Africa, and in Zimbabwe to be particular. The main objectives of the project were; finding out if there is a relationship between the migration of the parent(s) and the academic performance of children and finding out if there is a relationship between the parental external migration and the behavioral outcomes of the adolescent they left behind. The last objective was to assess the role of the surrogate parenting system. Nketa 7, which is a high residential suburb of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, was the study site for this project. It utilized both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The questionnaires were distributed to 300 households that were the sample size for this study. Apart from the questionnaires, the semi structured interviews were conducted with a total of thirty respondents. The study found out that parental external migration has both negative and positive effects on the adolescent behavior. The study concluded that the children must be considered in the international migration policies. The communication lines between the parents and the adolescents they left behind must be fully utilized. Recommendations for the study are that every member of the community must be actively participate in the alleviation of the negative effects of parental migration. Maximizing the benefits from parental migration such as increased remittance flows must be in place so that the children get to understand better the reasons for their parent(s) migration.