Factors that influence crime in Wandegeya community

Abstract

Crime is a community problem that all members of society must devote their at most efforts to get solved. In less developed countries, crime has been and is a natural characteristic of society that affects negatively all sectors of the economy ranging from financial, community, agriculture and production, health, work etc. This particular study aimed to assess the factors that influence crime in the less developed society of Wandegeya community Uganda. The study used primary data which was obtained by administering questionnaires to 107 individuals and data was analysed using SPSS and Stata. It was guided by four hypotheses. To do this, analysis was done at a univariate stage, bivariate stage and the significant variables were taken for further analysis at a multivariate stage. The dependent variable was crime and explanatory variables included alcohol and drug use, unemployment, family background and poverty. At a univariate stage, descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages were used. At a bivariate stage, the Pearson chi-square test was utilised at the 95% confidence level since all the variables were categorical in nature. It was found that unemployment and poverty are significant factors that influence crime in the community. Alcohol and drug use and family background were found to be insignificant influencers of crime at this stage. Both unemployment and poverty were taken for further analysis by running a multi nomial logistic regression that found the two significant. The study recommends that the government and all other stakeholders should deploy efforts towards eradicating poverty through innovation of different income generating programmes and renforcing those already existing. This will coincidentally solve the problem of unemployment and all in all the issue of crime will be solved. Further research was recommended to be done about the family background factor.