Family-type, Childhood Deprivations, Parenting Style, Single Parenting, Broken Home, Peer Influence and Sibling Rivalry as Correlates of Criminal Behaviour among Agodi Inmates, Nigeria

Abstract

Crime is a problem that is almost as old as man. It has long since been the goal of many stakeholders to find the reason and solution to the problem of crime. Relevant professionals and bodies have still not reached a consensus on the reason for criminal behavior. The goal of this study is to identify any patterns or connections between family - type, single-parenting, parenting style, childhood deprivation, broken home, sibling rivalry, and peer influence and criminal behavior in order to find potential solutions to the problem of crime. The study uses a descriptive research design and involves a sample of 200 inmates selected through simple random sampling. A structured questionnaire consisting of measures of the family - type, single-parenting, broken home, childhood deprivations, sibling rivalry, parenting style, and peer influence was used to collect data. Three research questions were raised for the study and data collected was analyzed through the use of Multiple Regression Analysis, and Correlation tested at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that there were significant relationships between family - type (r=0.642**; p<.05); followed by Peer influence (r=0.628**; p<.05); Broken home (r=0.595**; p<.05); Single - parenting (r=0.560**; p<.05); Childhood deprivation (r=0.551**; p<.05); Parenting style (r=0.547**; p<.05); Sibling rivalry (r=0.122**; p<.05) and criminal behaviors of inmates. Seven independent variables jointly contributed a total of 64.6% (adjusted R2=0.646) to the total variance of the criterion variable (criminal behavior of Agodi inmates, Nigeria). The independent variables made relative contributions to criminal behavior in the following order Family - type (?=0.246, t=6.910; P<0.05); Peer influence (?=0.242, t=7.235; P<0.05); Broken home (?=0.241, t=3.677; P<0.05); Single parenthood (?=0.235, t=3.651; P<0.05); Childhood deprivation (?=0.221, t=3.822; Parenting style (?=0.189, t=0.1.4.370; P<0.05); and finally, Sibling rivalry (?=0.080, t=3.019; P<0.05). This study found that the independent variables contribute significantly to criminal behavior among inmates in Agodi, Nigeria. It suggests that if the situation of families and homes continues to deteriorate, criminal behavior will also continue to increase. The study recommends providing orientation to the public on the role of the family in shaping an individual’s behavior and the causes and effects of criminal behavior in order to address the issue.