Organised crime: The role of education and unemployment

This study explored the structural drivers of individual involvement in organised crime by integrating global and local perspectives. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, the research draws on cross-national secondary data from 84 countries and primary survey data from 399 respondents in Nakuru West Sub-County, Kenya. The variables under study were unemployment, poverty, corruption, political polarisation, and education. Multiple linear regression was used to analyse the global dataset, while descriptive statistics were used to analyse primary data. Findings indicate that unemployment is the most consistent and significant driver of organised crime across both contexts, while education measured through literacy rates demonstrated a strong negative association with criminal involvement. The study is theoretically anchored in strain theory and social disorganisation theory, and concludes that while structural deprivation is a common thread, local histories, political practices, and institutional failure shape unique pathways into organised crime.