CMY2603
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE: MARCH 2026
,CMY2603 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE MARCH 2026
Discuss any five risk factors associated with youth misbehaviour in
South Africa. For each risk factor selected, explain how it can
contribute to aggressive, violent, criminal, or disruptive behaviour
among children and youths, and provide a brief South African
example to illustrate the link. (10 marks)
Part 1 Five Risk Factors Associated with Youth Misbehaviour in South
Africa
1. Low Socio-Economic Status and Poverty
Low socio-economic status represents one of the most significant risk
factors for youth misbehaviour in South Africa. According to Maree
(2018:88), a youth is more likely to become involved in crime if they come
from a poverty-stricken family where parents are unable to provide for their
basic needs. This economic deprivation has profound psychological effects
on young people, as it can negatively affect a child's self-concept and
cause feelings of inferiority, shame, and guilt . These emotional responses
to poverty can manifest in aggressive or disruptive behaviour as youths
struggle to cope with their circumstances. Overcrowding in households,
which often accompanies poverty, impedes on a child's privacy and forces
, them to explore new environments outside the home. Unfortunately, this
wandering can lead them to befriend criminal elements who offer a sense
of belonging and material benefits that their families cannot provide .
A concrete South African example of this risk factor can be observed in the
impoverished communities of the Joe Gqabi District in the Eastern Cape.
Research conducted in this poverty-stricken area revealed that adolescent
learners engage in complex interconnected behavioural problems,
including gangsterism, bullying, and substance abuse, largely driven by
their socio-economic circumstances . The study found that poverty renders
adolescent learners, particularly girls, vulnerable in their need to support
themselves and their families, with some parents even approving of cross-
generational relationships between their daughters and older men for
material gain . This desperation born from economic hardship directly
contributes to youth engaging in behaviours that violate social norms and,
in many cases, the law.
2. Incomplete Family Structures and Absent Fathers
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE: MARCH 2026
,CMY2603 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE MARCH 2026
Discuss any five risk factors associated with youth misbehaviour in
South Africa. For each risk factor selected, explain how it can
contribute to aggressive, violent, criminal, or disruptive behaviour
among children and youths, and provide a brief South African
example to illustrate the link. (10 marks)
Part 1 Five Risk Factors Associated with Youth Misbehaviour in South
Africa
1. Low Socio-Economic Status and Poverty
Low socio-economic status represents one of the most significant risk
factors for youth misbehaviour in South Africa. According to Maree
(2018:88), a youth is more likely to become involved in crime if they come
from a poverty-stricken family where parents are unable to provide for their
basic needs. This economic deprivation has profound psychological effects
on young people, as it can negatively affect a child's self-concept and
cause feelings of inferiority, shame, and guilt . These emotional responses
to poverty can manifest in aggressive or disruptive behaviour as youths
struggle to cope with their circumstances. Overcrowding in households,
which often accompanies poverty, impedes on a child's privacy and forces
, them to explore new environments outside the home. Unfortunately, this
wandering can lead them to befriend criminal elements who offer a sense
of belonging and material benefits that their families cannot provide .
A concrete South African example of this risk factor can be observed in the
impoverished communities of the Joe Gqabi District in the Eastern Cape.
Research conducted in this poverty-stricken area revealed that adolescent
learners engage in complex interconnected behavioural problems,
including gangsterism, bullying, and substance abuse, largely driven by
their socio-economic circumstances . The study found that poverty renders
adolescent learners, particularly girls, vulnerable in their need to support
themselves and their families, with some parents even approving of cross-
generational relationships between their daughters and older men for
material gain . This desperation born from economic hardship directly
contributes to youth engaging in behaviours that violate social norms and,
in many cases, the law.
2. Incomplete Family Structures and Absent Fathers
