Moderating Role of Peer Relationship in Neighborhood Disorder and Tendency to Commit Crime among Undergraduates

Abstract

The study investigated the moderating role of peer relationship in neighborhood disorder and tendency to commit crime among undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. Participants from the study were randomly selected undergraduates who volunteered and were allowed to fill a Google form, three instruments were used for data collection: criminal behaviour scale, Neighborhood disorder scale and index of peer pressure. The study adopted moderated predictive design and analysis was carried out using process macro of the SPSS version 30.0. Results revealed that neighborhood disorder positively and significantly predicted tendency to commit crime, peer relationship positively and significantly predicted tendency to commit crime and peer relationship significantly and positively moderated the relationship between neighborhood disorder and tendency to commit crime among undergraduates. It was recommended that government should ensure that all persons who commit crimes are brought to book, as this will reduce the tendency to engage in crimes.