Crime among the youths is a major global challenge to the threat of security in the world. Some of the crimes committed by the youths are violent while some are non-violent. These criminal acts include murder, manslaughter, rape, defilement, fraud, political assassinations, cattle rustling, assault, and robbery. 

Globally, there has been increase in crime among the youths, more so violent crimes such as crimes against persons for example in homicide cases such as murder, robbery, robbery with violence and terrorism. According to research conducted by UNODC, and Global Economic Crime survey, on 2014, crime among the youth has increased and still continues to be on the rise, with most youths engaging in homicide crimes such as murder and manslaughter, as well as other crimes such as theft of property, assault, arson, battery, mugging and robbery.

In Africa, crime is prominent issue which has not been keenly addressed by the governments responsible, with a very high number of youths being convicted of murder, rape and assault, kidnappings, defilement and robbery with violence. A research conducted by in the middle intended for the research of violence and appeasement through the Government of South African showed that there are higher levels of violence among the youths, with most of the men resolving conflicts through coercive sexual behavior against women. Rape cases among the youths; have also been on the rise. This is attributed by lack of strong legal frameworks such as the criminal justice system which is mired by issues such as corruption, bribery and incompetence among the police force as well as the courts.

Regionally, crime among youths in Kenya has been on the rise, in the recent years. According to crime and safety report 2014, there has been a high rise in rate of crime cutting-edge entirely provinces of Kenya, predominantly happening in Nairobi County, Mombasa county, Kisumu county, Uasin Gishu County, and Nakuru county. Kenya remains critically rated for both crime as well as terrorism, which involves majority of the youths. They always don’t hesitate to shoot their victims who fail to cooperate with them, but if they cooperate, they are just robbed of their property they possess and released unharmed.

Terrorism among the youths in Kenya has also not been spared, and remains a high priority of  concern among the government as well as the security agencies. There has been numerous attacks in some parts of the country such as the 21st September 2013 attack by groups of Al-shabaab terrors union, someplace they place the Westgate shopping mall under siege in Nairobi, butchering blameless persons mutually Kenyans and foreigners, and brutally fracturing numerous inhabitants. There have also been attacks involving shooting, use of explosive devices, and grenades, in other areas such as Mombasa, Garissa, and Mandera. Police records shows that most of these people participating on terror activities are the youths.

According to standard media 3rd June 2015, Case of robbery, robbery with violence, theft, defilement, sale of illicit brew, rape and murder among the youths have also been reported to be on the rise in the recent by the police in the area .There have also been cases of sale of illegal drugs such as  bhang and illicit brews, with most youths engaging into these businesses, thus making them to engage in criminal activities to sustain their drug habit as well as committing crimes such as violence due to influence of these drug that they take. This study therefore explores the engagement of youth into criminal activities in Kitale town.

An account by The National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) indicates that Nairobi County is proscribed by up to 14 prearranged criminal gangs, which frighten populace for liberty. A good number of these gangs maneuver in unceremonious settlement areas where policing is underprivileged. These gangs make their subsidy through extortion from the civic, stealing, politicians, robbery, and selling of stolen goods, an administration report indicates. 

Locally, crime in Eldoret town as in many other parts of the country, the youths are viewed as being and are frequently among the perpetrators of various crimes. During the December 2007 and January 2008 post-election violence, youths in Eldoret disputed presidential elections which triggered a bang of ferocity that slew number that exceeds 290 persons, together with tons of individuals’ life scorched alive as they sought refuge in a church. 

In Kitale, there has been rise on crimes among the youths mostly involving “boda boda” operators who ferry criminals during attacks. Some youths have also disappeared from their homes and some are suspected to have joined criminal gangs within the town.

Even though youth crime is a problem in Kitale town, little has been done, by the national government, the county government and the relevant authorities, in terms of intervention, to combat this issue of youth engaging into crime.

Statement of the Problem 

The observable fact of felony in Kenya has been in continuation since the post-independence period and has been steadily escalating as the urban area populace continues to develop at a more rapidly tempo than countryside areas as an outcome of countryside to metropolitan relocation. The ancient times and current governments have unrelentingly adopted dissimilar approaches and strategies to counteract the yet increasing incidences of crime in key urban centers. Regardless of such procedures as community policing, therapy and employment construction the predicament of felony and criminal actions carry on to aggravate in the social appearance of the towns. 

According to Youth Research Compendium, an individual aged between 15 and 26 years commits one felony in each of the two crimes reported to law enforcement agencies. In 2007/2008 Fiscal Year of post voting sadism, a figure of 89,770 crimes was reported. Amongst these, 47,710 (54 %) were committed by youth in that age group. law enforcement reports also confirm association in aggressive offense by youth just inflowing their adolescence. According to the Kenya Bureau of Statistics [1], there was an enlargement in crime reported from 60,825 to 71,785 in the phase 2008 to 2011. 

The study reports on the contribution of youth in armed felony as spelled as robbery with violence in metropolitan areas as they symbolize the uppermost frequencies of criminal actions in Kitale. The study sheds light on the discernment of metropolitan youth on the target to take part in armed robbery, the types of felony that youth nowadays are engaged in given the vibrant scenery of the society and know-how and also present a broken mechanisms and strategies approved to tear down youth participation in armed robbery and to what consequence they have had on humanity. The study also seek to ascertain the reasons why metropolitan youths are extra likely to be implicated in robbery with violence as contrasted to those in unfortunate or rural areas.

Literature Review

In provisions of the metropolitan crimes description across the world, Africa attains exceedingly on the reported cases. Successive Crime and Victim Surveys (CVS) from 2002-2012 and managed in additional 75 metropolises from the early 2000s to 2010 dogged that both Latin America and Africa receive the uppermost rates of assault and robbery: 13 % of every robberies and 9 % of assaults and intimidation in the globe are committed with firearms in Africa. The upper most persecution rates connected with armed robbery in Africa in 2014 were described in Republic of Congo (21 %), in specific Mozambican cities (27 %) and the Nairobi (37 %),

Researchers have frequently tried to differentiate type of crimes. For illustration, Gimode [2] differentiates between open and hidden crimes. Hidden crimes are less noticeable offense, which regularly comes beneath the face of bribery. This includes illegal activities such as embezzling public funds, filing false information, et al. The elite in society, the economically well to do and the politically powerful mainly commit such crimes. By the much hidden nature of these misdeeds, their agents most drive free. On the divergent, unconcealed offense is straight forwardly distinguishable. It encompasses the bodily or mental damage to other persons. Bodily criminal viciousness or bodily attack comprises killing, armed robbery, car-jacking, attempted murder, manslaughter and sexual crimes [2]

Conferring to Awoundo [3], there are two classifications of offense: first, there is offense which is of deviant character that is deliberated not to be a severe danger to clutch life and therefore endured. The second classification of non-conformity encompasses behaviour that is professed to intimidate the clutch life and requires to be castigated. Equally, Ndikaru differentiates amid crimes as fitting two wide-ranging groupings, misdemeanors and felonies. All types of offense are disciplined by law. Studies display inaptness in conveyed incident of violence and crime. For illustration, in South Africa, crime categories that are predominantly pretentious by low heights of recording are the less severe material goods crimes such as petty larceny, as well as other crimes like deception, bribery, carnal assault and crimes in contradiction to children [4]. In Kenya, Masese quotes equipped robbery, homicide, mugging, car theft, housebreaking, bodily and carnal assault and other forms of grave offense are mutual. 

In Nigeria, Odufuwa [5], established that bodily pestering or attacks, carnal pestering, raping, pick-pocketing, abducting and robbery as crime episodes frequently experienced in public carriage. It is troubling to discover or discern that women equated with men are typically affected by all forms of crime fluctuating from pick-pocketing to carnal offences or carnal annoyances. In Tanzania, Mapunda [6] established that the utmost frequently reported type of offences to the police were stealing; robbery with violence; equipped robbery; burglary and deception. Amid 2003-2008 exhibited that burglary was the supreme stated form of criminal offences perpetrated by youth while fraud was the slightest stated offence. 

Plentiful studies have been carried out in an effort to ascertain the reasons for criminality. Nearly all theorists acknowledge that crime is an intricate phenomenon and that discovering the origin of the problem is consequently very demanding. These are thoughts maintained by Jones [7], who emphasizes that the indication of a Source of violence must be handled with caution. This study in no way recommends to be able to determine ‘the’ source of fierce crime but only to ascertain some of these features that once recognized may help in the match against it. 

The proper actions for a significant reduction and an effective prevention of crime rates has become a prior issue for every country, since criminal actions are presented through different forms, everywhere and in every time [8]. It is ever more critical for African countries to augment their determinations in the direction of fighting crime. As Livingstone notes, the jeopardy of ferocious crime has repercussions for Africa’s expansion, governance, and steadiness. Crime positions as the chief inhibitor to investment on the land form bestowing to private commercial owners. Muggah and Del Frate [9] differentiate amid three approaches embraced by UN member states to transact the difficult of metropolitan violent offense. These comprise; deliberate initiatives, forcible measures and compliance-oriented procedures. 

The forcible measures refer to the use of mightily influenced explorations and appropriations. These measures comprise the apportionment of supplementary resources to contest the tenacity of violent crime in metropolitan areas. This consists of apportionment of patrol carriages and the conscription of extra police and security proxies as well as carrying out curfews and patrols. These measures nonetheless simply work in the undersized term and may not be justifiable in decreasing the upsurge in frequencies of violent crime [10]. Nevertheless, there is a constraint to this in standings of the police quotient and resources accessible. In Kenya, the police to populace quotient have dropped over the last 15 years: the quotient was 1 to 711 in 2000; 1 to 875 a decade later; and 1 to 1150 in the year 2018. The small figures of sub-ranks being the positions that transmit the tedious daily obligations of the police, is most intensely manipulated by the populace in the Rift Valley [11]. 

Compliance preoccupied with interventions purpose at augmenting rule and program to reassure deterrence. For illustration in Uganda, Kakama [12]. Discovers that the authorities replied to youth offence by altering their youth fairness systems to be well-matched with the agreement on the Privileges of children and the other connected tools. This comprised conveying on features of curative fairness and a larger emphasis on the prosperity of the child into the “regular” fairness system. Charitable initiatives are designed at the firming local dimensions and the stigmatization of ostensibly wicked or divergent behavior. The vital lessons cultured are that amalgamation of all three methodologies is best effective, in that, they ought to be punished in proof, and that they should be carried out collectively with strong corporations between government and civil society foundations [10]. 

In South Africa, the communal unions forged in response to national hostility have an inhibiting result on certain forms of crime. Nonetheless, anti-crime movements in the municipalities in the 2000s were hurled by native street boards and civic administrations. The post conciliation period ruined these connections: state subjugation weakened, and change over fetched intra-community struggle [13]. Community-based processes such as deterrence, digression, non-custodial and curative justice are cheered as the great operational ways of dealing with youngsters in battle with the law [14]. 

The Government of Kenya embraced the community monitoring initiative in 2014 as a primary inhibition strategy amongst the Kenyan police and the administrative police. Kenyan Police Strategic Plan for 2003-2007, similarly makes indication of community policing and of crime deterrence. The goals of the community policing encompassed to “to avert and detect offense, preserve law and order and bring lawbreakers to fairness [15]. 

A numeral of experiential studies has established the inquiry on how the authorities and the deterrence strategies can enhance combat crime. Diverse variables have been verified, the likes of the growth of police force the currency disbursed for the suitable tools [16], people who have been halted [17], convicted [18] or incarcerated. The outcomes are still uncertain, but it appears that the likelihood of verdict and conviction are extra actual ways for crime deterrence. The reason is, in utmost cases, criminal activities are not continuously linked with detentions, and detentions do not constantly lead to sentences and incarcerations. 

This study adopted a case study design of research to generate relevant information on the aspects that influence the youth involvement in criminal activities. Case study research design is instrumental in articulating factors that motivates the youths to involve themselves in criminal activities. Case study research design also establishes the types of criminal activities that youth are involved in, influence of youth involvement in criminal activities on youth participation in crime and mechanisms and strategies put in place to eradicate youth involvement in criminal activities.

Conferring to Polit et al., [19] sampling is the practice of assortment of individuals, characters, proceedings and organizations with which to carry out a study. For a sample to be regard as good, it should demonstrate a true representative of the population that generates a marginal sampling error seen as viable, economical, orderly, whose results can be applicable universally with a reasonable level of confidence. Since, the population of the study is expected to be too small, a census technique was used thus the entire population was studied. 

Rendering to Welman and Kruger [20], data is evaluated by way of statistical techniques so as to scrutinize variables and their consequences. Gathered information was presented using descriptive statistics for instance percentages and frequencies. A combination of data analysis paradigms was applied. The basic idea is to identify from the respondents the information that was informative in some way and to sort out the important response from the questionnaires. Quantitative information was presented using SPSS version 25.0 and MS Excel. Responses was summarized and presented in tables, charts, and percentages.

The study examined the views of different respondents on the factors influencing youth involvement in criminal activities in Kitale town-Trans Nzoia County.   The respondents were requested to indicate their views on a likert scale ranging from:-Strongly Disagree=1, Disagree=2, Undecided=3, Agree=4 and Strongly Agree=5. The frequencies and percentages of the findings were recorded. The findings were also presented in form of mean and standard deviation.

The respondents were requested to give their views on whether stealing, robbery, burglary and deception are the offences that are mostly committed by youth and the study findings revealed that 108 (70.5%) of the respondents agreed that stealing, robbery, burglary and deception are the offences that are mostly committed by youth  as compared to 21 (13.6%) who disagreed. This was confirmed by Mean=3.80 and SD = 1.047. The respondents were also requested to give their views on whether negligence of police and other security organs has led to the occurrence of gangs and vigilante clutches in Kitale town. The study results revealed that 107 (69.8%) agreed that negligence of police and other security organs has led to the occurrence of gangs and vigilante clutches in Kitale town (Mean=3.79; SD=1.047) while 30 (19.4%) disagreed. In addition, the respondents were asked if burglary is the supreme stated form of criminal offence perpetrated by youth and the study findings  revealed that 129 (84.2%) of the respondents agreed that burglary is the supreme stated form of criminal offence perpetrated by youth (Mean=4.04; SD=0.342) while 3 (2.2%) disagreed. Moreover, the study results revealed that 107 (69.8%) of the respondents agreed that organized crimes in Kitale town such as car hijackings and vehicle thefts are connected with youth (Mean=3.93; SD=0.346) whereas 20 (12.9%) were in disagreement.

The respondents were asked to give their views on whether social offense are typically interrelated with issues such as poverty, income disparity, age, and gender determines the youth participation in crime . The study results indicated that 137 (89.2%) of the respondents agreed at (Mean=4.52; SD=1.1153). The study findings also revealed that 130 (85.0%) agreed that increase in youth’s joblessness rates hints to social complications and upsurges the inspiration to participate in criminal acts has influence on youth participation in crime  (Mean=4.51; SD=0.275) while none of them disagreed. Furthermore, the respondents were asked to give their view on whether the adolescents and young grown-ups commit most noteworthy elements of crime determines the youth participation in crime . The study results indicated that 136 (87.2%) agreed at (Mean=4.48; SD=0.450) while none of them disagreed. Lastly, the study findings showed that 125 (78.4%) of the respondents agreed that crime rates are constantly interconnected to the age construction of youths influences the youth participation in crime (Mean=4.28; SD=0.273). These findings are in line with Kibuka [21] who argued that most of the countryside young persons are immigrants to the metropolitan center. The detail is that 45 % of Africa’s populace is underneath fifteen years of age. The fraction of young individuals aged 25 years and beneath was projected at 65.6 percent by the year 2000.

The study results revealed that 108 (70.5%) of the respondents agreed that extra police patrol measures may be justifiable in decreasing the upsurge in frequencies of violent crime determines youth involvement in criminal activities (Mean=4.00; SD=1.187) while 21 (13.6%) were in disagreement. The study also revealed that 104 (68.3%) agreed that community-based processes such as deterrence are cheered as the great operational ways of dealing with youth crimes influences youth involvement in criminal activities  (Mean=3.55; SD=0.969) while 26 (16.5%) were in disagreement. The study also revealed that 101 (66.5%) agreed that deterrence strategies can enhance combat youth crimes influences youth involvement in criminal activities (Mean=3.55; SD=0.764) 

Table 1: Types of Criminal Activities and Youth Involvement

Table 2: Socio-Demographic Factors and Youth Involvement in Criminal Activities 

Table 3: Mechanisms and Strategies to Eradicate Youth Involvement in Criminal Activities

Table 4: Youth Involvement in Criminal Activities

while 26 (16.5%) disagreed. Furthermore, the study showed 94 (61.2%) of the respondents agreed that community policing initiative avert and detect offenses hence bring lawbreakers to fairness affects the youth involvement in criminal activities (Mean=3.12; SD=0.606) while 28 (18.7%) disagreed. These findings are in line with the Government of Kenya which embraced the community monitoring initiative in 2014 as a primary inhibition strategy amongst the Kenyan police and the administrative police. Kenyan Police Strategic Plan for 2003-2007, similarly makes indication of community policing and of crime deterrence. The goals of the community policing encompassed to “to avert and detect offense, preserve law and order and bring lawbreakers to fairness [15].

The study results on indicators of youth involvement in criminal activities revealed that 90.4% (mean=4.52) were of the view that youths, frequently breakdown the regulation hence found guilty of criminal offence;  89.8% (mean=4.49) were of the view that youths mostly incline to specific kinds of wrongdoings counting ferocity thus youth involvement in criminal activities , 90.4% (mean=4.52) were of the view that crimes among youth has increased with most youths engaging in homicide crimes such as murder and manslaughter hence the main determinant of youth involvement in criminal activities ; 78.6% (mean=3.93) were of the view that very high number of youths are convicted of murder, rape, assault, defilement and robbery with violence  thus reveals supportable youth involvement in criminal activities . These findings are in line with a study in Africa, crime is prominent issue which has not been keenly addressed by the governments responsible, with a very high number of youths being convicted of murder, rape and assault, kidnappings, defilement and robbery with violence. This is attributed by lack of strong legal frameworks such as the criminal justice system which is mired by issues such as corruption, bribery and incompetence among the police force as well as the courts.

Types of criminal activities, socio-demographic factors and mechanisms/strategies put in place are the three primary variables discussed in this study and they all had a positive significant effect on youth involvement in criminal activities. The researcher also discovered that factors of criminal activities had a considerable favorable influence on youth involvement in criminal activities. 

As a result, the research concludes that the present youth problems in Kitale town may be attributed in large part to the factors of criminal activities that have been for so long neglected.  As a result, efficient adoption and exploitation of security mechanisms/strategies be put in place for enhanced by the youths, spiritual influential, NGO representative and police representatives in Kitale town-Trans Nzoia County.

Recommendations 

Factors of criminal activities have a favorable youth involvement in criminal activities according to the research. As a result, the research suggests that spiritual influential; NGO and police representatives in Kitale town should prioritize the adoption and exploitation of security mechanisms/strategies in order to enhance youth’s empowerment. As a result, they should not only develop the mechanisms/strategic plans, but also monitor and assess their effectiveness on a regular basis. This will help to enhance the levels of youth involvement in criminal activities. The report also suggests that before adopting any approach, spiritual influential; NGO and police representatives should assess its applicability based on the environmental dynamics, culture, and rules. The report also advises representative groups to think about the other factors like youth unemployment before making any security decisions.   

The government and other security organs should adopt favorable rules for the application of security techniques in curbing youth involvement in criminal activities. This will guarantee that factors of criminal activities are used and adopted for security effectiveness, efficiency, and consistency. In addition, the report suggests that the government and other policymakers allow youths to access some credit facilities to encourage them run SMEs. 

The paper presents various recommendations for further research on topics that came up throughout the survey and deserve more investigation. To begin with, the study's focus was strictly confined to factors of criminal activities and youth involvement in criminal activities in Kitale town-Trans Nzoia County. This may not be a representative sample; as a result, the study proposes that further research be done in different town so that the results may be compared.

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