Abstract

This study investigates the rebelliousness, parental separation, poor goal setting and peer pressure as determinants of criminal behaviour among youths in Oyo state. The study adopted a descriptive research design of correlation type. A total of three hundred (300) youths were selected in Oyo state using multi stage sampling technique. Questionnaires consisting of demographic information and sections which are standardized scales on criminal behavior, rebelliousness, parental separation, poor goal setting and peer pressure. The reliability of the scales are; criminal behavior α =.82, rebelliousness α =.84, parental separation α =.72 and poor goal setting α =.81 and peer pressure α =.94. Four research questions were tested and answered using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression Analysis. The findings showed that that most of the youths in Oyo state have criminal behaviours. There was significant relationship among in independent variable rebelliousness (r =.350, p<0.05), parental separation (r =.475, p<0.05), poor goal setting (r =.344, p<0.05) and peer pressure (r =.186, p<0.05). The four independent variables jointly accounted for 24.9% variance in predicting criminal behavior among youths in Oyo state. The independent variables made positive relative contribution to criminal behavior among youths in Oyo state in the following order: Rebelliousness (β = .351, p<0.05), poor goal setting (β = .487, p<.0.05), peer pressure (β = .199, p<0.05) and parental separation (β = .157, p<0.05). It was recommended that rebelliousness can not only lead to criminal behaviour, but they can also extend to incidences of deviant behaviour. Owing to this, law/bill on criminalizing cheating, stealing, drugs addiction in the nation and should not only dwell on punitive measures of fines or imprisonment of defaulters, but it should also incorporate preventive measures of giving guidelines on rehabilitation.