Residents’ blame poor parenting, weak institutions on rising youth crime
Some residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have attributed the growing crime rate and moral decay among youths to poor parenting, weak institutions, and unemployment.
The residents speaking with newsmen, Abuja, on Monday, said that parenting remained the foundation of every child’s moral upbringing.
Mr Fortune Ubong, a resident of Karu, a suburb of the FCT, said that crime in Nigeria could not be traced to a single cause, but several interrelated factors across homes, schools, and government institutions.
According to him, parenting remains the foundation of every child’s moral upbringing, yet many parents have neglected their responsibilities due to the economic pressures of daily survival.
”Most parents are now focused on earning a living and improving their lifestyle and in the process, abandoning their primary duty of molding and guiding their children.
”It is not enough to provide food and shelter; parents must also be present to monitor and instill moral values on their children and wards.”
He noted that many young people learn more from their environment than from what they are told, adding that negative examples within homes and communities often confuse children.
”When a child sees a parent acting wrongly, it contradicts whatever moral lesson that parent tries to teach. This weakens the child’s moral foundation,’’ he added.
Ubong also urged the government and religious institutions on collective efforts to rebuild moral standards, noting that the government’s inability to provide basic amenities, quality education, and jobs had left many youths frustrated.
”It is everybody’s responsibility to raise a child. When elders keep quiet in the face of wrongdoing, the entire community suffers,” he stressed.
Similarly, Mrs Christiana Nicholas, a resident of Kubwa, another suburb in the FCT, said that the involvement of young Nigerians in crime was not only due to poor parenting.
Nicholas said that other factors like unemployment, peer pressure, and the breakdown of community structures that once guided youth behavior were also responsible for increased crimes among youths.
According to her, it is not all about parenting, one can have a child who grew up with love and comfort, but because of greed or bad influence from friends, the child takes to a life of crime.
”Many youths go to school for years, but after graduation, there are no jobs. Some lose hope and turn to crime as a shortcut.”
She advised parents to maintain an open communication with their children and build relationships based on trust.
”You can’t outsmart your child. The best way is to make your child your friend. Talk to them, tell them the truth about life, and encourage hard work,” she advised.
She added that parents needed support, stressing that if the government provided jobs, good education, and social welfare, families would have less stress and children would grow up in better conditions.
She also emphasised the role of religious and community leaders in youth development, recalling how traditional structures such as the `Miangwa system’ once helped maintain discipline among young people.
”When we were growing up, there was a community leader called `Miangwa’. If a child misbehaved, they would report to him, and he would summon the parents and elders to correct the child publicly.”
”That alone serves as a lesson to others. But after he died, the system collapsed, and discipline among the youth declined,” she said
In the same vein, Mrs Njideka Pius, a public servant, said that the increasing rate of crime among Nigeria youth was due to poor moral upbringing and unemployment.
According to her, there should be stronger support for local vigilante groups and youth empowerment schemes to help curb the challenge.
”If someone is unemployed but comes from a good home with sound moral training, he would not want to soil his hands by going into illegalities.
”There was a time they were kidnapping people in my area. They would come at night and take someone for ransom, when we discovered those behind it were mostly young men, the community leader called a meeting, and we decided to hire local vigilantes to secure the area,” she said.
She urged the government to recognise and support these local vigilante groups, describing them as vital to grassroots security.
Pius also appealed to the government to establish youth empowerment programmes to reduce unemployment and crime, while also urging community leaders, law enforcement agencies, and government officials to work together to promote peace and reduce crime at the grassroots level.
According to her, the best thing the government can do is to create a system where those without jobs can get support to start small businesses.
Mr Nathaniel Dennis, a Surveyor said that poor parenting can contribute to an individual’s likelihood of engaging in crime, regardless of their employment status.
Dennis noted that unemployment could be a catalyst for poor decision-making and, ultimately, crime.
”An unemployed person is already frustrated by the circumstances life has placed before him, which can make him lose hope and a sense of purpose and responsibility, leading to criminal behaviour.
“It is also possible that without proper guidance, support, and role modelling, individuals may not develop the necessary skills, values, and morals to make positive choices”, he said.
