Youth Involvement in Illegal Activities Consequences for Community Development
an, by nature and sometimes nurture, is a very inquisitive being and this aspect of him can be brought to the fore when he encounters a situation that seems mysterious or which he finds pleasurable or profiting. He is therefore open to a wide range of activities which may or may not be socially acceptable. Some of such activities which are socially unacceptable may range from those that are simply frowned upon, irritable to those that contravene both written and unwritten mores, norms and laws; In every society, therefore, human action is always viewed against the backdrop of general acceptability, especially when the outcome(s) could be positive or negative, beneficial or not, to the majority of those found in that context. When the activities voluntarily go against laid down and written laws, they are regarded as illegal and therefore, a crime. For this reason, those who engage in such activities in clandestine or covert ways. While involvement in certain illegal activities may be suited to certain groups because of particular traits or characteristics (such as age, physical strength, height or gender) it is not the exclusive preserve of any group, be it male, female, young or old. For the purposes of this paper, however, our focus will be on youths. The question would also arise immediately; who is a youth?
