THE IMPACT OF UNEMPLOYMENT ON CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES IN CROSS RIVER STATE

THE IMPACT OF UNEMPLOYMENT ON CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES IN CROSS RIVER STATE

ABSTRACT

This research work is centered on the impact of unemployment on criminal activities in Niger Delta region of Nigeria using Cross River State as a case study. The study adopted the survey research design. A total of 450 research subjects were drawn from the target population using the stratified and random sampling technique. Frequency counts, simple percentage and chi-square methods were used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. Findings from the research showed that unemployment has a significant impact on criminal activities in Cross River State. It also revealed that poverty has a significant impact on criminal activities in Cross River State. The study therefore recommended government’s intervention towards job creation to enable reduction in unemployment rate in the state which has eventual result in crime reduction.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

Crime is one major problem, and a burning issue in which every society particularly a developing one is faced with. Nigeria as a developing country faces her own share of social, political, economic and cultural problems at different regions which have in no small measure affected the well-being of the populace. One major cause universally agreed is the rising or increasing nature of unemployment.

It is commonly observed for most countries that unemployment and crime rates are positively correlated, but it is much more unclear whether the relationship means that unemployment causes crime, crime causes unemployment, or other factors cause either or both. In other words, the sign of the correlation is clear but the direction of the causality is not. One direction of the causality, unemployment affects crime, has received wide attention in the literature, but the reverse one has been largely neglected (Calro – Armengo and Yves Zenous, 2003).

The theoretical underpinning of the causality notion was developed some thirty years ago by Becker (1968), Stigler (1970) and Ehrlich (1973) among others. In Ehrlich’s model, individuals divide their time between legal activities and risky illegal activities. If legal income opportunities become scarce relative to potentials gains from crime, the model predicts that crime will become more frequent. Increased unemployment could be such factor.

THE IMPACT OF UNEMPLOYMENT ON CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES IN CROSS RIVER STATE