Childhood Victimisation, Social Marginalisation, Moral Disengagement, Trauma Symptoms, and Family Dysfunction as Predictors of Criminal Behaviour among Awaiting Trial Inmates in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined childhood victimisation, social marginalisation, moral disengagement, trauma symptoms, and family dysfunction as predictors of criminal behaviour among youth awaiting trial inmates in Agodi Correctional Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design, and a sample of 189 youth awaiting trial inmates aged 18–35 years was selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using standardized instruments and analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that all the independent variables had significant positive relationships with criminal behaviour, with trauma symptoms showing the strongest correlation. The variables jointly accounted for a substantial proportion of variance in criminal behaviour among respondents (R² ≈ 0.76), indicating strong combined predictive power. Results further showed that trauma symptoms made the highest relative contribution, followed by childhood victimisation, moral disengagement, social marginalisation, and family dysfunction. The study concludes that criminal behaviour among youth awaiting trial inmates is influenced by a combination of early-life adversity, psychological distress, cognitive justification processes, and dysfunctional family and social environments. It recommends trauma-informed rehabilitation, cognitive behavioural interventions, and family-focused correctional programmes to reduce criminal behaviour and improve reintegration outcomes.