Investigating Leading Factors Escalating Mortality Rate in Romantic Jealousy

Abstract

vi 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