Intergenerational Transmission of Violence in Military Families: A Case Study of Anglican Church of Kenya, Military Episcopate, Kenyatta University – Nairobi

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https://doi.org/10.71064/spu.amjr.11.1.2026.536
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Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research

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Milton Kabunge
Kenyatta University
Dr. Josephine Gitome
Kenyatta University
Rev. Dr. John Peter Bwire
Kenyatta University

Abstract

Marital violence remains a widespread concern in military families globally, yet minimal research has examined how childhood parenting experiences foster intimate partner violence among African military families, particularly within faith-based communities. This study investigated the contribution of parenting backgrounds to marital violence in the Anglican Church of Kenya, Military Episcopate, Kenya Defense Forces.  Despite the implementation of faith-based interventions: premarital counseling and pastoral support within the Anglican Church of Kenya Military Episcopate, marital violence remains prevalent among Kenya Defense Forces families, with existing programs failing to address the foundational role of adverse childhood parenting experiences including exposure to parental violence, authoritarian parenting, parental substance abuse, and single parenthood. The mixed-method design was adopted in four military bases (Langata, Laikipia, Mariakani, and Gilgil Barracks). Using a multistage sampling method, 255 married members of the Military Episcopate were surveyed. Information was collected through structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews and focus group discussion. The quantitative analysis was done using the SPSS version 21 which involved descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis whereas the qualitative data analysis was done using thematic content analysis. The theoretical basis of the study was the Social Learning Theory and Attachment Theory. The participants reported remarkably high rates of adverse parenting experiences: 60–75% witnessed parental violence, 83.1% had experienced authoritarian parenting (emotional distance), 49-74% had parents who used substances, and 48.6-63.9% had experienced single parenting or lived with extended family. The childhood experiences were highly correlated with the current marital violence whereby 93.3% had experienced psychological abuse and 34.5% experienced physical abuse in their respective marriages. The important transmission mechanisms were modeling of violent conflict resolution, normalization of aggression, deficits in anger management (73.3%) and disruptions in attachment. The military culture also contributed to weaknesses by creating hyper masculinity, stress when deployed, and hierarchy. The existing interventions of the Military Episcopate were also not sufficient: 45.1% considered premarital counselling sufficient, 46.7% said that the victims were heard in a proper way, and 73.3% said that biblical teachings were misinterpreted and justified the aggressors. Marital violence in the Military Episcopate is a structural phenomenon based on the intergenerational trauma transmission that is enhanced by the military culture and is not effectively addressed by the current interventions. The comparison between high church attendance (61.2) and near-universal violence shows that the generic forms of faith-based interventions without trauma-informed and evidence-based material cannot disrupt the cycle of violence. Some of the recommendations are the adoption of trauma informed premarital counselling that accommodates childhood experiences, the creation of clear theological training that is clear on the distinction between biblical submission and abuse tolerance, the introduction of relationship education in military training curriculums, strengthening familial support structures, as well as correcting institutional cultural practices that normalize psychological abuse. 

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How to Cite
Intergenerational Transmission of Violence in Military Families: A Case Study of Anglican Church of Kenya, Military Episcopate, Kenyatta University – Nairobi. (2026). African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research, 11(1), 300-325. https://doi.org/10.71064/spu.amjr.11.1.2026.536

How to Cite

Intergenerational Transmission of Violence in Military Families: A Case Study of Anglican Church of Kenya, Military Episcopate, Kenyatta University – Nairobi. (2026). African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research, 11(1), 300-325. https://doi.org/10.71064/spu.amjr.11.1.2026.536

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