DefinePK

Abstract

AbstractObjective: To measure the demographic characteristics and association between street crimes and its impact on the psychological health of youth in Khyber Pakhtunkhaw, Pakistan.
Methodology: This cross sectional survey included 300 youth offenders in age brackets of 15 to 29 years placed in seven jails of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25. Uni-Variate analysis was conducted to measures the frequency and percentage distribution of the respondent’s responses.
Results: A highly significant association was found between participation in street crimes and offender stress as the value of Chi-square shows 36.279 highly significant at a 1% level of significance. Similarly, engagement in street crimes significantly determined aggressive behavior among offenders as the value of Chi-square revealed 34.688 highly significant at a 1% level of significance. Involvement in street crimes significantly contributed to prevalence of depression among offenders as the Chi-secure value shows 14.118 significantly at a 5% level of significance.
Conclusion: Street crimes is associated with a consequent increase of stress, depression, and aggression among youth offenders.Key words: Street crimes, offences, mental health.