Crime Views on Two Continents: An Exploratory Study of Views of Nigerian and U.S. College Students Toward Crime, Criminals, Treatment, and Punishment

World views, including views toward crime, criminals, punishment, and treatment, are shaped by society's social structure, culture, and the dominant political/economic paradigms. These views are known to differ widely from society to society and even within a society. This study compares the crime views of Nigerian undergraduate students with that of undergraduate students in the United States of America. Findings from this study indicate significant differences in views between Nigerian and American college students toward crime, criminals, punishment, and treatment. Interestingly, there were also mixed views on punishment and rehabilitation among Nigerian respondents, which may reflect the dichotomy of the restorative justice‐based informal criminal justice system and the more punitive official criminal justice system. The differences in views regarding crime and criminality are attributed partly to the cultural differences and the level of economic and technological developments between the two countries.

Notes

Oko Elechi and Eric Lambert contributed equally to the paper and are equal first authors. The authors thank Janet Lambert for editing and proofreading the paper. We must also extend our gratitude to our colleagues in Nigeria, Drs. F. E. Ota, O. Okereke, and S. Otu, for their immense help in administering the surveys at their respective universities. The authors also thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions.

Contact information: O. Oko Elechi, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Justice Studies, College of Juvenile Justice & Psychology, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446–0519. Telephone: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E‐mail: ooelechi@pvamu@edu

Contact information: Eric G. Lambert, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 3281 FAB, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202. Telephone: [phone]. E‐mail: [email protected]

Contact information: Morris Jenkins, Ph.D., J.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, HH 3002, Mail Stop #119, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606. Telephone: [phone]. E‐mail: [email protected]

Contact information: David N. Baker, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, HH 3008, Mail Stop #119, The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606. Telephone: [phone]. E‐mail: [email protected]