Assessing the Relationships between Low Education and Abhorrent Behavior: The Case of At-Risk Youth Population in Liberia

The lack of or little intervention by the Government of Liberia (GoL) and its international partners in the At-risk youth situation in Liberia has exacerbated the rate of crime and other abhorrent behaviors in Liberia.  National and international actors are baffled by little interest in rehabilitating the At-risk youth population considered a recipe for future instability and a threat to sustained peace in Liberia in particular and the West African region in general.  The purpose of this mixed methodology study was to examine the relationship between low levels of education and abhorrent behavior. Qualitative and quantitative data, via semi-structured questionnaires and interviews, were collected from 321 participants within 10 counties in Liberia. The results of the standard linear regression analysis indicated the full model was statistically significant at p < .001, R2 = 0.99. The implication for positive social change is that the transformation of the youths into useful citizens via educational pursuit will minimize future threats to national and individual security and foster the way to peace and national development.