AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORPHANHOOD AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG THE YOUTH IN MALAWI

Abstract

This study was aimed at exploring the extent to which home background factors influence the development of criminal behaviour among the youth especially in relation to how orphans and own children are treated in the home. Views that were analysed in the study were obtained from a wide range of respondents including orphans, non-orphans, adults, and convicted orphans. The study was generally comparative in nature in that it compared the way orphans and non-orphans are treated in the homes and the consequent comparative susceptibility to criminality between the two groups as well as between males and females. Robert K. Merton’s Anomie theory was employed in the analysis of data. It was conducted in Zomba district, in Southern Malawi and specifically at Zomba Central Prison, Chilwa Reformatory Centre, Matawale residential area and Nachuma village. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed in the collection of empirical material. Data collection methods used included in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews and life histories. In addition, document review was used to complement the findings. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were used for the qualitative and quantitative parts respectively. A total of 234 respondents participated.