CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Youth empowerment involve build the capacity of young people and motivating them to take responsibility of their lives .This is done through the process of improving their access to resources that will help in changing their lives ,beliefs, values, and attitudes Youth empowerment  is carried out to improve the quality of lives of the youth.  Youth empowerment is attained through   youth empowerment programs conducted by non-profit organizations, government organizations, schools or private organizations. Youth empowerment program consist of youth activism, civic engagement, democracy building.  Intergenerational equity

In ordinary language, a crime is any unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority .The act is considered a criminal offence when it is not only harmful to the individulas but to the society or community such as rape, robbery,muder,theft,vandalism,kidnapping etc. Criminal offences are  is defined by criminal law of  every country .Many young people in crime are as a result of poverty, lack of basic education and skills, poor neighborhoods and communities and lack of parental care and bad social influences from bad social interactions

Stakeholders involving the government, Ngos, international organizations, community associations etc need to conduct proper assessment of the conditions of the youth with a view to formulate appropriate policy and program of youth empowerment. The impact of youth empowerment is usually enormous leading to better quality of lives of the youth and total transformation of the society and community. (World Bank, 1994).The research therefore seek to investigate Youth empowerment as a strategy for reducing crime in Nigeria

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Crime is any unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority .The act is considered a criminal offence when it is not only harmful to the individulas but to the society or community such as rape, robbery, murder, theft, vandalism, kidnapping etc. Criminal offences are  is defined by criminal law of  every country .Many young people in crime are as a result of poverty, lack of basic education and skills, poor neighborhoods and communities and lack of parental care and bad social influences from bad social interactions. Youth empowerment involve build the capacity of young people and motivating them to take responsibility of their lives .This is done through the process of improving their access to resources that will help in changing their lives ,beliefs, values, and attitudes Youth empowerment  is carried out to improve the quality of lives of the youth.

Stakeholders involving the government, Ngos, international organizations, community associations etc need to conduct proper assessment of the conditions of the youth with a view to formulate appropriate policy and program of youth empowerment. The impact of youth empowerment is usually enormous leading to better quality of lives of the youth and total transformation of the society and community. (World Bank, 1994).Therefore the problem confronting the study is to appraise Youth empowerment as a strategy for reducing crime in Nigeria.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To determine Youth empowerment as a strategy for reducing crime in Nigeria

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

What is youth empowerment?

What is the level of impact of youth empowerment on crime reduction in Nigeria?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study proffers the essence of youth empowerment as measure to eradicating crime in Nigeria

1.6  RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Ho The level of impact of youth empowerment in crime reduction in Nigeria is low

Hi The level of impact of youth empowerment in crime reduction in Nigeria is high

1.7  SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study focuses on the appraisal of youth empowerment as strategy to crime reduction in Nigeria

1.8  LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study was confronted by some constraint including logistics and geographical factors.

1.9  DEFINITION OF TERMS

Youth empowerment defined

Youth empowerment involve build the capacity of young people and motivating them to take responsibility of their lives .This is done through the process of improving their access to resources that will help in changing their lives ,beliefs, values, and attitudes Youth empowerment  is carried out to improve the quality of lives of the youth.

Crime defined

Crime is any unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority .The act is considered a criminal offence when it is not only harmful to the individulas but to the society or community such as rape, robbery, murder, theft, vandalism, kidnapping etc. Criminal offences are is defined by criminal law of every country