Youth Unemployment and Rural Crime in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examinedthe effect of youth unemployment on rural crime in Obanlinku Local Government Area of Cross River State. Specially, the study examined the relationship between structural unemployment and burglary crime, seasonal unemployment and drug abuse, and frictional unemployment and armed robbery. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design and structured questionnaire as instrument of data collection. The population and sample size for the study was three hundred and ninety seven (397) youths, farmers, and security personnel’s in Obanlinku Local Government Area.Data collected was statistically analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation. All the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that, there is positive and high correlation between structural unemployment and burglary crime, seasonal unemployment and drug abuse, and frictional unemployment and armed robbery in Obanlinku Local Government Area.   It was recommended based on the findings that government should intensify efforts to create more vocational skills acquisition centres across the country especially in rural areas to enable our young men and women to acquire skills for them to be self-employed and also employ others. Skills acquisition is a strong instrument for empowerment of youth in areas like tailoring, carpentry, automobile mechanic, ICT, metal work as to avert youth seasonal unemployment.