Religion and Crime: Exploring the Link towards Crime Prevention in Bungoma County, Kenya
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Date
2022-11-13
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Multidisciplinary and Current Educational Research (IJMCER)
Abstract
Over the last five decades there has been growing interest in the nature of the relationship
between religion and crime. In general, researchers have sought to determine if being more or less religious has
anything to do with why people do or do notcommit crime. Scholars from diverse disciplines, including
criminologists and theologians interested in this line of inquiry have sought to provide empirical insights to this
important question, however, the link between religion and crimes is debatable. Link between religion and crime
remains an unsettled and controversial topic, because of different religious and cultural beliefs that exist
globally and in the study area the gap is wide. The research objectives sought toestablishwhether the link
between religion and crimes existand usefulness of religion in crime prevention.One theory informed this study
namelySocial Control Theory.The study adopted a descriptive survey research design asappropriate because the
research problem under investigation was descriptive in nature, appropriate for collecting, analyzing, and
presenting the data. A sample size of125 was derived from a target population of 1250 key respondents in
Bungoma county where mixed research was applied. The research tools included In-depth Interviews, desk
review, questionnaires, and Focus Group Discussion. Earlier findings indicatedreligion as crucial for
maintaining social order and fostering a set of common values and beliefs in the society as a way of preventing
crime. The study revealed an inverse link between religiosity and crime which suggests that religion is usefulin
suppressing criminality behavior.Where education sector especially schools sponsored by religious
organizations,and presents of traditional churches, the vicinityrecorded less crime in the neighbourhood. The
study recommendsthe need for criminologist to factor in religion as one method to prevent crimes in the
community.