A Study on the Relationship between Education Level and Criminality in Sri Lanka (With Special Reference to Prison Statistics of Sri Lanka 2019-2023)

A Study on the Relationship between Education Level and Criminality in Sri Lanka (With Special Reference to Prison Statistics of Sri Lanka 2019-2023)

Prabhashini I.G.N.

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.9010079

Received: 23 December 2024; Accepted: 30 December 2024; Published: 01 February 2025

ABSTRACT

Over the years, researchers across various parts of the world have actively engaged themselves in a lot of academic literature regarding education and delinquency correlation as education has been a principal factor portraying an individual’s life path. Education significantly contributes to the formation of attitudes, the enhancement of socio-economic conditions, and the improvement of decision-making capabilities. Additionally, poverty of educational opportunities or low attainment of education generally characterizes countries with high levels of delinquency and crime. Based on the fact, prison data from 2019 to 2023 was used to explain whether criminal activities and educational attainment are related or not in Sri Lanka. The paper also tries to explain if educational attainment and type, frequency, or seriousness of criminal behavior among prisoners correlate significantly. The research problem is what is the distribution of educational levels among prisoners in Sri Lanka between 2019 and 2023? The research objectives are to find the relationship between education level and crime, whether low education level individuals are more likely to engage in criminal activities, and to examine the educational backgrounds of those who were detained in Sri Lanka between 2019 and 2023. The research has been designed based on secondary data. For many years, high rates of crimes have been committed by those who have passed grade 8 and GCE ordinary levels. There are low crime rates among those with higher education levels. For that situation, it has so many reasons, such as biological, sociological, and psychological. The results show a strong relationship between low levels of education and increased criminal activity, with a considerable concentration of criminals having little or no formal education. This research has a few limitations, as it is mainly desk research. Also, it has used statistical data for five years to analyze. The research concludes that the government should establish quality education, and it must help to find good jobs for school leavers. Then it may help to reduce the crime rate in Sri Lanka. Similarly, if the functions of institutions such as family, education, religion, politics, and the economy are fulfilled properly in society, there is a possibility of minimizing the incidence of crime in a country. This study emphasizes how crucial it is to address educational disparities as part of a larger initiative to lower crime and enhance social cohesion in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: Criminality, education levels, prison, relationship

INTRODUCTION

Criminality is a common problem in the world. All countries have law systems to control this issue systematically, and in ancient society, it was controlled by customs, norms, values, morals, and folk law. There are a lot of factors that can lead people to commit crimes. In particular, sociological, biological, and psychological factors are reasons for criminality. However, in sociological factors, there is poverty, inequality, social disorganization, collapse of social institutions, lack of education, unemployability, etc. Education is an essential element of society because it plays important role in building persons and society providing them with skills, knowledge and experience necessary for their development. According to Emile Durkheim, Conceives of education as the socialization of the younger generation. He further states that “it is a continuous effort to impose on child ways of seeing, feeling and acting which he could not have arrived at spontaneously” (Doharey et.al. 2023).  Legally speaking, crimes are typically described as actions or inactions that are prohibited by the law and that carry a fee or jail sentence. Criminality, a certain personality trait that leads to the most concerning types of crimes, is the main focus of the behavioral definition of crime. In order to get tangible or symbolic resources, all criminal activities include the use of force, deception, or stealth (He, 1995, p-285). In this situation, it is important to further study the relationship between educational level and crime.

Osabuohien, Evans has done research on the topic of “Educational Backgrounds and Youth Criminality in Nigeria” in 2009. Mismanagement and strikes in Nigeria’s education sector have led to intellectual poverty and criminal behavior among youngsters (Osabuohien, 2009). One might also think that education influences the benefits of crime. Most probably this is the case for white-collar crimes like fraud, forgery, and embezzlement. Education may encourage certain sorts of crime by raising the incentives of crime more than the lawful salaries. Lochner (2004) finds some evidence that white-collar crime rates are increasing at average levels of education, as discussed below. To the extent that schools ‘socialize’ children to be better citizens and treat others better, education can reduce the psychological returns to crime, leading individuals to forgo lucrative criminal opportunities. Individuals who have an education may also learn to be more patient. This will prevent crime since forward-thinking individuals attach a greater value to any foreseen punishment associated with their criminal behavior. Education can also impact risk-taking behavior. Schooling appears to reduce crime because it makes individuals more risk-averse (Lochner, 2007, p. 3). Educational attainment bears significantly on the trends of criminal behavior. High levels of education usually have lower trends of crime due to the opportunities, skills, and social connections that provide lower propensities for criminal behavior.

Hjalmarsson, Holmlund & Lindquist researched “The impact of education on crime: International Evidence” in 2012. In an attempt to combat crime, policymakers frequently concentrate on punishment and enforcement; however, new research indicates that other policy tools may also be useful. The analysis of the mounting body of research from throughout the globe indicates that measures aimed at raising educational attainment and enhancing school quality may also effectively lower crime rates. Some current data points from the US and Europe demonstrate the close relationship between education and criminality. Youth involvement in criminality primarily depends on occupational attainment (Olofinbiyi, 2020). Socioeconomic status, family aspects, and neighborhood effects interact in either diminishing or promoting educational performance and subsequent criminal behavior. Education acts as a guard against criminality. When examining these problems, does education have the potential to lower crime rates? Numerous studies have found that those with lower levels of education are more likely to engage in aggressive behavior. Crime is considered a pervasive problem everywhere in all countries in different ways. Although many factors contribute to crime, the researcher in this study focuses on poverty, work, and how these factors relate to education. People from wealthy families are less likely to commit crimes than people from low-income families. Criminal activity is also influenced by employment prospects; those with access to employment are less likely to commit crimes (Becker, 1968).

According to that, family dynamics, socioeconomic issues, peers, and living environment conditions affect academic attainment and criminal behaviors. Also, people who have a strong family and a comfortable economic background with education are less likely to engage in criminal activities than others. These conditions show the relationship between education level and criminality.

Theoretical Framework

Underpinning theoretical framework of the study “A Study on the relationship between the level of education and criminality in Sri Lanka (with special reference to prison statistics of Sri Lanka 2019-2023)” is a number of key conceptualizations that scrutinize the links between education and crime. Robert K Merton explains in the strain theory, that individuals experience pressure when they cannot achieve their goals through the general path. Education is the way to achieve their goals and lack of education is the barrier to getting that opportunities. Social control theory points out that people are less likely to commit crimes if they bond with society. Education is the main way to gain strength to keep self-discipline (Abrams, 2024). It can be identified, that there is more connection related to crime and education according to labeling theory and Human capital theory.

Conceptual Clarification

(Compiled by the researcher)

METHODOLOGY

This study has utilized secondary data to establish the relationship between crime and educational Level. In this regard, a careful review and synthesis of literature from various sources including books, peer-reviewed journals, credible internet repositories, and prison reports were made. The first step in data extraction entailed the identification of the main themes, methods, conclusions, and implications of each selected study. Combined results were considered for detecting recurring patterns and trends in the correlation between crime and educational level. This approach, considering all factors, made comprehension of the linkage between crime and educational attainment easier.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Criminality is a social problem in all social contexts. There fore the Government should build up a strong law system and govern organizly. And also should develop the human qualities of persons in the country. Similarly, to reduce the crime rate quality education is a strong path to developing human qualities. There a child could select the path of vocational training regarding school subjects as he prefers, it is the easiest way to make a strong income in the future. Through this programme, it can reduce the crime rate in the country.

There can be seen in the direct admissions of Convicted Prisoners according to Level of Education in Prison Report 2024, higher education level and criminality have a negative relationship in Sri Lanka. Also low education level and crime have a positive relationship. Those who passed the Grade 8 and passed GCE ordinary level of education had high crime rates in 2019,2020,2021,2022 and 2023 years as in this table. Similarly, there is lowest crime rate is identified at the graduate level of education.

Table 01.  Direct Admissions of Convicted Prisoners   According To Level of Education (2019-2023)

Source –Prison Statistics of Sri Lanka 2024

Regarding the Unconvicted Prisoners percentage according to Level of Education in Prison Report 2024, those who passed grades 05 and 08 Ordinary level of education have high rates of crimes. Those who Passed GCE A/L and upper levels of education have low rates mentioned therein. According to that, it clearly mentioned there is a relationship between education level and criminality.

Table 02. Direct Admissions of Unconvicted Prisoners   According To Level of Education (2019-2023)

Source –Prison Statistics of Sri Lanka 2024

If anyone has a higher level of education, it is easy to find a good job. Also, he has the strength to build a comfortable living environment with his family. When they will have a good income they can maintain their social status and respect in society. It is an easy way to live happily with others. There are no difficulties in fulfilling their wants and needs. But the situation is different for other people who lack education and it is difficult to find a good job with a good salary. So they have an unsatisfactory life. Through this situation, they   commit illegal activities to fulfill their wants and needs. It is one of the reasons for the increased crime rate. Also, well-educated people have good social acceptance. Then there is no space for them to think of illegal activities in society. It has a good effect on education and it may be a turning point in the life of the person to be a good citizen or a bad citizen in Society.

Positivist explanations maintain that biological, psychological, and social factors predispose individuals to criminal activities, whereas rational choice theories argue that criminals are free to commit crimes. Theories also examine society as a whole, and how unfair conditions allow and enable increased criminal activity on the part of the poorer elements of society (Camden, 2018).  None of these is more important than others since each theory draws from the other in solving the problem of crime causality. Theorization from a sociological standpoint questions such issues as migration and unemployment. Their impact on criminal dynamics is great. Living standards are integrally linked to migration and are closely related to unemployment. Poverty and leisure time, associated with unemployment, are exogenous factors of crime (Mariana, 2015).  According to that the statistical prison report -2024, when examining how is the relationship between education level and criminal behaviors, criminal patterns and the demographic factors of prisoners get a comprehensive understanding how the nature of criminal behavior and how the persons are affected by that.

CONCLUSION

This study is very important to identify how criminal behavior in Sri Lanka is influenced by education. There is a positive relationship between low education levels and crimes. On the other hand, there is a negative relationship between higher education levels and criminality. The findings may help to build up public policy and help develop educational programs designed to reduce recidivism and address the root causes of crime. Similarly, social institutions should be given the necessary space to properly perform their functions, which will also help reduce crime in society.

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