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This study investigates the extent of local government involvement in crime prevention within the MDM district. A total of 338 questionnaires were distributed to community members, and 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted with municipal officials, SAPS social crime prevention personnel, and the District Coordinator from the Department of Transport and Community Safety. A mixed-method research design was adopted to integrate both qualitative and quantitative approaches, thereby addressing the limitations of each and enhancing the overall depth and reliability of the findings. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were employed to ensure a representative and targeted participant selection. The research explores existing crime prevention strategies, the challenges faced, and the nature of collaboration between the SAPS and local government. Ethical principles, including informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity, were strictly observed. In addition to its empirical contributions, this study serves as a practical reference for students seeking to understand the application of mixed-method research in local government and crime prevention.

Recent research has shown that youth offending remains a critical issue in South Africa, with far-reaching consequences for individuals, families, and society. This study critically examines the psychological and socioeconomic factors that contribute to youth offending, offering a comprehensive and integrated analysis rooted in the South African context. Drawing from a qualitative desktop research approach, the study utilized secondary data including scholarly articles, government reports, and organizational publications. The findings reveal that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), mental health challenges, exposure to trauma, poverty, educational disparities, family dysfunction, and unemployment are key contributors to youth offending. The analysis underscores the interconnectedness of psychological and socioeconomic variables, suggesting that youth offending cannot be understood or addressed in isolation. Instead, a multidimensional approach is necessary, one that recognizes both internal psychological vulnerabilities and external social and economic stressors. Based on the findings, the study recommends trauma-informed mental health interventions, educational and vocational support, poverty alleviation strategies, and community and family-based programs. These recommendations aim to inform holistic and evidence-based policies that can reduce youth crime and support positive youth development. The study contributes to existing criminological literature by bridging theoretical frameworks with practical, policy-oriented solutions relevant to South Africa's unique challenges.

Unemployment and crime are complex socio-economic problem in South Africa that attracts excessive attention from researchers because they are crucial issues worldwide. Since 1990, unemployment has been a problem, and this escalated after the end of apartheid. This occurred due to South Africa’s economic struggles with low growth. Long-term unemployment is linked to frustration, alienation, and breakdowns in social cohesion, primary in poorer communities. This social strain fosters criminal behaviour largely because such individuals exert power or generate much-needed cash from these illegal activities. By virtue of the lack of formal avenues of employment, these people are thus easily recruited through criminal networks or gangs that offer money and social identity for illegal activities. This study aims to evaluate and analyse the impact of unemployment in instigating crime in South Africa. The problem the researcher is addressing results from the alarming increase in youth unemployment and its assumed link to criminal activities, especially in underdeveloped or rural areas in South Africa. The study adopted a mixed research methods approach. A purposive sampling and cluster sampling were used to select participants. The researchers used semi-structured interviews and questionnaires to collect data. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis and quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). It is envisaged that findings of this study may be used in the design and implementation of strategies and programmes to reduce unemployment and crime in South Africa. Further, the researcher makes some recommendations pertaining to addressing and reducing the high rate of youth unemployment and crime.

Crime in high schools has become a major concern all over the world. High schools in Nzhelele East Circuit, Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa also experience waves of youth crime perpetrated by learners. The aim of this study was to explore family factors which contribute to youth crime amongst learners in high schools in Nzhelele East Circuit. Three high schools (i.e. Mushaathoni, Nndweleni and Mphephu) known for high rate of crime were selected. Quantitative research approach was used. Survey questionnaires were administered among learners in order to collect quantitative data. Stratified random sampling was used to survey 40 grade 10 and 40 grade 11 learners from each of the three high schools. In total, 240 learners participated in this study. Data was analyzed using the SPSS instrument. Appropriate ethical principals were applied to ensure that research participants were not harmed. The study found that youth crime in high schools was attributed to family factors such as absence of parents, poor parenting style, abuse and domestic violence, poverty, divorce, single parenting and family size. The study recommended the need for a multi-pronged strategy through mobilization of relevant stakeholders (families, community leaders, education authorities, law enforcement agencies and other relevant government department to curb youth crime in high schools. Key words: Crime, Learners, Bullying; Offenders; Victims; Violence; Youth crime, High school

This article examines municipalities on implementation and coordination of social crime prevention programmes in addressing social issues. The White Paper on Safety and Security (1998) clearly proposed that local government should be responsible for implementing and coordinating social crime prevention programmes within areas of concern. Therefore, it is argued that the provincial government is closest to citizens and inimitably placed to contribute to social crime prevention initiatives and readdress the delivery of services to deal with crime prevention successfully. There is little information about this matter in South Africa. This article will reveal the challenges municipalities and the department of social development face on social issues. There seems to be a repetition of social programmes in addressing social issues and there are no programmes targeting youth at risk, juvenile delinquency and child-headed households’ issues. The study concludes that the municipalities should consider the review in social crime prevention strategies to better align its programmes to the provincial mandates. Municipalities should further demonstrate regularly how it responds to social issues that might perpetuate the crime rate.