Drug Abuse and Criminal Behaviour among Youths in Rumuigbo Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This article examines the relationship between drug abuse and criminal behaviour among youths in Rumuigbo community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Guided mainly by Sutherland’s differential association theory, the study draws on a community-based survey of 300 respondents from both the youth and three family groups, supported by interviews and observations. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using simple frequencies, percentages, and chi-square tests. The findings show that most respondents believe that youths who abuse drugs are more likely to engage in criminal acts, that drug abuse harms the body, and that an increase in the number of drug abusers intensifies negative effects on the community. Respondents also feel that inadequate funding limits the effectiveness of drug law enforcement agencies. The chi-square result indicates a significant association between family group membership and patterns of response, which supports the idea that intimate social networks play a key role in the learning of both drug use and criminal behaviour. The article concludes that drug abuse among youths in the Rumuigbo community is best understood as a learned behaviour that grows within peer and family networks, and thus recommends family-based prevention, stronger community structures, and improved support for enforcement and rehabilitation services.
Author: Kate Samuel Abuoma
Institution: University of Port Harcourt
Topic: Youth, Drugs, and Violence
Subfield: Demography
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7140116916