Abstract:
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ABSTRACT
This study sought to investigate the leading factors escalating the mortality rate of
romantic jealousy at Tanga City Council. The specific objectives were to determine
the demographic, cultural, and social factors escalating the mortality rate in romantic
jealousy. Social exchange theory and social learning theory were employed in this
study. In this study, pragmatism philosophy was employed while mixed research
approach and case study design. The population used in this study was 236,057
individuals aged 18 years and above residing in Tanga City Council while
Convenience sampling was chosen as the sampling technique. Primary data will be
gathered through the distribution of closed-ended questionnaires and the facilitation
of structured interviews while secondary data will be obtained through thorough
document reviews. The quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and
inferential statistical techniques aided by SPSS version 26 while qualitative data were
subjected to a thematic analysis. The study found that age significantly impacts the
severity of jealousy-related conflicts leading to mortality to a large extent and gender
influences the likelihood of violence in jealousy-driven conflicts to a moderate extent.
Findings revealed that cultural norms shape responses to romantic jealousy to a
moderate extent, traditional gender roles have a large extent of impact on mortality in
jealousy cases while societal attitudes towards jealousy influence violence severity.
Findings revealed that peer pressure significantly influences violence in jealousy cases
to a large extent and social support networks moderately mitigate mortality risk in
jealousy cases while social media exacerbates jealousy-related conflicts, increasing
mortality. The regression analysis reveals that both demographic and cultural factors
have statistically significant positive associations with escalating mortality rate while
social factors indicate a non-significant relationship with escalating mortality rate.
This study recommends that community leaders and policymakers work to address
cultural norms and expectations surrounding romantic relationships. Further research
in the field of mortality rates in cases of romantic jealousy should prioritize
longitudinal studies to understand the trajectories of jealousy-driven conflicts over
time and their correlation with mortality outcomes
