Status of Knowledge in Africa (From Politiques de Prevention de la Delinquance. A l'Aune de la Recherche, P 174-190, 1991, Philippe Robert, ed. See NCJ-137844)

• NCJ Number: 137855
• Author(s): F Odekunle
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 17 pages
• Sale Source: Editions L'Harmattan
• Publication Type: Presentation
• Language: French
• Country: France

Annotation

This article analyzes the special problems in crime prevention of and research in the African continent.

Abstract

Despite its acute crime problems, Africa faces numerous research obstacles compared to other regions of the world: the scarcity of reliable information and research on crime, the lack of research support agencies, and the problems in disseminating information. Whatever information is available points to a general rise in crime and the emergence of new crime forms such as economic crime, organized crime, and drug abuse. Correspondingly, the fear of crime in the population manifests itself through the refusal to help strangers in emergencies, extensive security devices in buildings, and nightly curfews. Police response to these challenges has been mostly conventional (e.g., legal reforms, increase in criminal justice agents, workshops); some countries have even introduced the death penalty. Suggestions to improve the situation include seeing the delinquency problem in a larger context, making the laws conform to the moral and cultural values of the population, creating special agencies to deal with problematic minorities, and resorting less frequently to prison terms. 8 references