Family Disintegration
Family disintegration has been described as crisis and changes in functional prerequisite of the family institution. This is an example of social institution being threatened by one form of imbalance or the other (Fayeye and Akintola, 1998). Factors making family life appealing such as constant interaction, intimate relationship, emotional bonding, and interdependency and shared responsibilities can also create tensions that result in violent behaviour between family members (Kratcoski, 1987). It is a paradox that though families normally provide nurturance, warmth and emotional support in our impersonal mass society, many families bring abuse despair and violence into the lives of one or more of their members (Reiss, 1980).
The functionalist School of thought asserted that the property and even the survival of contemporary society depend on the strength of its family. The influence of the family can never be underestimated because from cradle to grave it leaves a great impact on the social experience of the individual (Muhammed et al, 2009). Hence, laxity in family rules and control makes the youth to be prone to criminal behaviour. Although, the family is essential to the
existence of man at the same time there is a sense of instability, conflict and change crisis that can also be generated by the family. However, transience and instability produces powerful pressures for violent behaviour among the young. An unorganized family cannot provide access for legitimate channels to success goals and thus blur the future of these youth.
Most experts on the study of criminal agree that the family is a frontline defense against crime. It disrupted family life may encourage any pre-existing criminogenic forces and sustain crime over the life course. The family influence today has greatly receded, thus the average family has failed in its function to provide a solid moral foundation for youths. Most peop1e, particularly youth are all product of this influence (Muhammed et al 2009).
2.3 DeviantBehaviour
Deviant behaviour is considered abnormal or antisocial if it is uncommon, different from the norm and does not conform to what society expects. This idea is also closely related to the statistical approach to definite abnormality which rests on the idea that differences in human behaviourtend to fall into a normal distribution curve (Nwankwo, 2006). A particular behaviour is not acceptable or is antisocial if any of these three criteria are seen; thebehaviour does not allow a person to function effectively with others as a member of society, if the behaviour does not permit the person to meet his or her own needs and the behaviour has a negative effect in the wellbeing of others (Roberts, 1981).
In almost all countries, young people are often the most common victims of crime partly because of their lifestyle; they are more vulnerable than older people or young children to being victims of assault, theft and other property crime (Berg and Bernard 2004). They are often the victims of crime and violence perpetrated by other young people among them. the majority of individual victims of youth offending, whether property or violence, are likely to be from young people living in the same neighbourhoods, or attending the same schools, rather adults. For example, in South Africa, one study found that young people a responsible for 30% of the violence against the youths. In Dar-es-Salaam, 27% of people of 15-25 surveyed in 2000 had been victims of assault, compared with - 40 years of age, and 33% of those who were unemployed. 44% of the same age group had been victims of simple theft, compared with 25% of those over 40 years (Edwin 2006).
Edwin (2006) further states that cities such as Dakar and Senegal have seen increases in petty theft, breaking and entering, the use of violence, threats and intimidation through the 1990s. Yaoundé, Cameroon has similarly experienced increased aggression, theft, vandalism and sexual assault, as well as prostitution among young people. Undoubtedly, one of such social vices among other cancerous problems confronting Nigeria educational institutions today is cultism as there is hardly any academic session without reported cases of cultism in most Nigerian institutions. According to Ogidefa (2008), there is hardly any single Nigerian institution of higher learning that has not experienced this menace of cultism. Young offenders have often been victimized in childhood and begin to victimize others as they grow older, or their offending behaviour them in much riskier situations which invite victimization. Studies in developing countries have demonstrated that young people who have been victimized in childhood or adolescence are at greater risk of themselves using violence, having mental health problems, offending or using illicit drugs (Billitteri, 2007). Thus, the kinds ofbehaviours and circumstances which lead to law-breaking are often similar to those leading to victimization. Given that young people tend to victimize other people in their age group; those who are excluded may themselves turn to bullying others, or in some cases to offendinge.g to survive on the street (McGraw, 2006). A level of family violence among the young homeless is usually high and is a major reason for leaving home. Those who are unemployed are also greater risk of victimization and offending.
