FACTORS THAT MOTIVATE MALE OFFENDERS TO COMMIT CRIME IN KENYA CASE OF NAROK PRISON IN NAROK COUNTY

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research project sought to analyze factors that motivate male offenders to commit crime. It analyzed the socio-cultural factors, psycho-biological factors and physical factors that motivate male offenders to commit crime. It sought to answer the question ‘why’ male offenders commit crime. Among the socio-cultural factors that were analyzed were poverty, lack of proper education, negative peer influence, exposure to violence and crime, drug and substance abuse and lastly religion. Among the psycho-biological factors that were examined were, mental illness, psychopathy, diet, hormones and genetic inheritance. The physical factors that were examined were the physical attractiveness, height and body type of the male offenders. Theories that were used to support the idea of the research project were socio-learning theory, psycho-biological theory and constitutional theory. The research design that was used was explanatory which followed two processes, the qualitative and quantitative research processes. The target population had five hundred and ten males where the sample size took ten percent of the target population hence used fifty one male respondents. During the sampling procedure the researcher used a table of random numbers that provided a random selection of sampling units. The table had the numbers of members of population and a pattern was established of denoting these numbers with letters A, B, C and D and only those denoted with A and D were picked. Data was analyzed in regard to the preliminary section that had the age, level of education, occupational status, marital status and religion of the respondents. It was followed by the analysis of the socio-cultural factors, psycho-biological and physical factors that motivate male offenders to commit crime. The most prominent factor among the socio-cultural factors was poverty and the least factor was religion. Among the psycho-biological factors that were analyzed the most prominent was mental illness and the least prominent was genetic inheritance. Among the physical factors most male offenders were short, bony and physically unattractive. The second prominent were those that were muscular, tall of height and moderately attractive whilst the least were tall, of average height and attractive. The socio-learning theory focused on how the environment and social conditions affect male behavior. Psycho-biological theory established an association between brain dysfunctions, body genetics, hormones, diet and male delinquency. Socio-cultural factors showed that male offenders seek criminal ways to deal with problems. Psycho-biological factors showed that brain dysfunctions and biological aspects do cause male offenders to commit crime. Physical factors also deemed to have a correlation with delinquency such as physical unattractiveness and height, especially the short men. Therefore initiatives should be undertaken to educate the public on cause-effects of male criminality. Opportunities should also be established to rehabilitate, employ and educate the male offenders during and after their conviction.