Gender Differentials in Criminal Behaviour in Nigeria

Abstract

The relationship between gender and crime is intense and persistent. Both women and men commit and are victims of crime, but their perspectives, understanding, and interpretation of the crime are likely to be different. While attempts have been made to explain the causes and horrible implications of crime in Nigerian society, not much has been done in terms of research to link gender with commission of crime. Thus, this paper examines the relationship between gender and crime in Nigeria. The paper enunciates the reasons for gender differential in crime and also uses the containment theory and the opportunity theory of female criminality to explain these differences. The Nigerian Prisons Service Statistics on all inmates across all the prisons in Nigeria was considered. Using the available data, the paper contends that women’s crime rates are far lower than men’s crime rates. The paper concludes with suggestions on how to reduce the crime rate of men, by them being closely supervised and discouraged from misbehaviour. Men should also be socialized heavily towards greater empathy.