The Paradox of Drug Abuse, Poverty and Criminal Behaviour among Youth in Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VIII, August 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

The Paradox of Drug Abuse, Poverty and Criminal Behaviour among Youth in Nigeria

Eze Victor¹, Idoko Innocent^1*, Oguche Christopher Joseph², Diyoke Michael Chika¹, Samuel Gwani^3
1Department of Sociology University of Abuja Nigeria
²Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
³Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Nasarawa State University Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
^*Correspondent Author

Abstract: – The degree of unemployment also correlates with poverty. Higher unemployment level would increase poverty and at the same time engenders crime activities due to depression associated with being unemployed. In their perspective, poverty to individual behavioral characteristics and choices such as alcohol and substance abuse, rape, theft etc. they suggest that the problem of poverty is within the control of the poor themselves and therefore policies and programs need to influence those choices through incentives and prohibitions. This paper examines the Paradox of drug abuse, poverty and criminal behavior in Nigeria. Theoretically the paper employed Merton’s strain theory of crime to explain the issue of poverty, drug abuse and criminal behavior. Appropriate recommendations were also derived from the paper such as empowerment of youths through skill acquisitions, adequate training and retraining of youths enlightenment campaigns and struggles for good governance in Nigeria society.

Key Words: – Drug abuse, Poverty, Criminality Behaviour, Nigeria

I. INTRODUCTION

The explanation of crime causation has taken various dimensions according to different theorists and scholars. Some blame it on defective family structure or arrested personality adjustment. Others emphasize factors such as inequality, environmental influence, poor socialization process (Henslin, 2006). In this regards, criminal acts may be induced by many unforeseen factors and circumstances.
Crime, according to Taylor (2006) could be seen as a fault of the social system whose institutions do not work equally for all its members. Sociologists look at the society in which individuals find themselves. Could it be that the problem lay not with the individual but in the social condition under which the individual live? The concern here is why people should exhibit behavior that is in violation of established norms, violations that may ultimately result in their being labeled as criminal behavior in terms of social processes.

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