Socio-Cultural Factors in Nigerian Male Youth Violence: Relationship with Education and Employment

Abstract

Violent crimes have quite visibly increased among Nigerian male youth in recent years. A major consequence of this situation has been increased insecurity in several dimensions of socio-economic and political life. This paper examines the phenomenon of youth violence from a background of a combination of Nigerian patriarchal traditions and modern socio-cultural and economic environment. The role of school socialization is given particular focus especially as this impacts on the preparation of youth for future economic life. The paper concludes with prescriptions on possible areas of intervention geared at curbing male youth violence bearing in mind the need to retain indigenous cultural identities within a contemporary context. (authors)