Longe Joshua Sunday, Omigie Godson Godwin

Keywords: Poverty, crime, youth, hunger, social construction

Abstract

Poverty and hunger remain widespread and prominent in contemporary Nigeria; resulting in heighten criminal activities among the youths. This experience is becoming more complicated as reliable social support systems for significant others are dwindling. In Benin City-Nigeria, most of the youths are unemployed and they are trapped in poverty and hunger. To survive, most of these youths resort to crime. Employing the strain theory, this paper discusses crime and delinquency in Benin City as effects of the pressure of poverty and hunger upon the youths. The study wherein data for this paper emerged adopted the mixed survey method involving quantitative and qualitative research techniques. Statistical results confirmed 79.4% prevalence of poverty and hunger among youths in Benin City. The paper concludes that poverty and hunger are socially generated and these significantly influence the commission of crime by youths in Benin City. The paper recommends that governments at all levels in Benin City should create conducive and enabling environments for the creative involvement of youth in empowerment projects and support initiatives as this will enable the emergence of young entrepreneurs in Benin City.

Author Biography

Longe, Joshua Sunday

Department of Sociology and Anthropology Faculty of Social Sciences University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria Email: [email protected]

Omigie Godson Godwin

Faculty of Social Sciences Department of Social Work University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

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