Economic Hardships and Rising Youth Crime: Perspectives from Igbesa Community, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to seek the opinions of people on how economic hardships had increased the rate of economic crimes among Nigerian youth. The study was guided by the combination of social disorganization theory and anomie-strain theory. It adopted descriptive research design and quantitative approach was implemented through the administration of questionnaire to the people living in the study area. Sixty copies of questionnaire were administered but only fifty-nine copies were returned. Convenience sampling method under non-probability sampling technique was used to select the study area and respondents who participated in the study. Frequency and percentage distributions were used to analyse the data. A total of 55.9% of respondents were female; 28.8% of them were between 40-44 years; 67.8% of them were Christians; 52.5% of the respondents were middle class people and 55.9% of them had lived in the study area for period of 1-5 years. Findings show that 47.5% of respondents strongly agreed that economic hardship from subsidy removal on oil has increase stealing/theft among youth; 44.1% strongly agreed it has increased computer crime/frauds and 35.6% strongly agreed it has increased house breaking/burglary among youth. Furthermore, 38.9% of respondents agreed that the economic hardship has increased the crime of kidnapping for ransomed; 37.3% of them agreed it has increased the ritual killing /ritual money among youth; 47.5% of them agreed it has increased the rate of robbery/armed robbery among youth; 49.3% of them agreed it has increased selling and buying of stolen goods; 44.1% of them agreed it has increased the crime of stealing under false pretense among youth; 49.3% of them agreed it has increased forgery among youth and 50.9% of respondent agreed it has increased selling of hard drugs by youth. Economic hardships which emanated from removal of oil subsidy is increasing crime among youth. Implementation of youth-oriented policies, parental care for the youth, community programmes centred on youth, proactiveness of law enforcement agents and further studies on economic hardships and youth crime were recommended.