IMPACT OF POVERTY ON CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AMONG YOUTHS IN UKUM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BENUE STATE

ABSTRACT The study investigated impact of poverty on criminal behaviour of youths in Ukum local government area of Benue State. In order to achieve the objective of the study, descriptive research design was adopted to guide the study. Four research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study was three hundred and thirty seven thousand, five hundred and twelve inhabitants (337, 512) of Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State. A sample one hundred and twenty (120) respondents sampled from six representative wards out of the twelve wards of Ukum local government area were used. A structured questionnaire titled “Impact of Poverty on criminal Behaviour among Youths (IPCBYQ)” was used to collect data. The study used statistical instrument of means and standard deviation for analyzing the research questions and chi-square for testing the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significant with the degree of freedom set at 3.0. Findings revealed that there is significant of impact of poverty on criminal behaviours among youths, there is significant effect of criminal behaviours among youths and there are significant measures of curbing criminal behaviours among youths in Ukum Local Government. The study therefore recommended that, Government should ensure the provision of employment opportunities to the youth in the area so that the rate of unemployment will be reduced and youth will be gainfully employed., Government should grant amnesty to militia youths in the area in order to reduce the rate of criminal behaviours among youths in the area, politicians should stop providing arms to the youth to use them as thugs and Government should strengthen security apparatus is another measure eradicate the problem of criminal behaviour among youths.