youth against corruption essay

U4 Helpdesk Answer

The impacts of corruption on young people and their role in preventing corruption.

Young people are vulnerable to multiple forms of corruption that result in severe negative impacts spanning the social, economic and political dimensions of their lives. Anti-corruption measures can consciously seek to inform young people about the effects of corruption and engage them through activism, innovation, and social accountability initiatives. An important enabling condition is that national stakeholders provide meaningful opportunities for youth participation.

Main points

• Available survey evidence suggests young people are often more exposed to corruption than the general population.
• Corruption is associated with a range of negative outcomes on issues that matter greatly to young people, especially in the realm of education. This can contribute to unemployment, emigration and political alienation.
• While primarily victims of corruption, some young people learn from an early age that corrupt practices are normal and view them as necessary to get ahead. Evidence increasingly shows that tailored education measures can help nurture young people’s intolerance for corrupt and unethical behaviour.
• Many positive examples have emerged in recent years showcasing the potential of engaging youth in anti-corruption, drawing on their ability to raise awareness, innovate and monitor and report corruption.
• Nevertheless, in many cases young people’s involvement may be underutilised or treated as tokenistic or cosmetic by national authorities. This has led many voices in the field to propose more meaningful forms of engagement for young people in anti-corruption efforts.

Reviewed by

In collaboration with.

Transparency International

Cite this publication

Bergin, J. (2024) The impacts of corruption on young people and their role in preventing corruption. Bergen: U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute (U4 Helpdesk Answer 2024:36)

All views in this text are the author(s)’, and may differ from the U4 partner agencies’ policies.

This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence ( CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 )

Creative Commons CC Creative Commons BY Creative Commons NC Creative Commons ND

Related Content

Anti-corruption programmes for young people in conflict and post-conflict countries

Best practices in engaging youth in the fight against corruption

The Role of Youth in Anti-Corruption

This week’s   Economic Reform Feature Service  articles highlight the final two winning essays from CIPE’s 2011 International Youth Essay Competition. Riska Mirzalina and Ruth Nyambura, the second and third place winners respectively in the Corruption category, discuss how youth in their countries can engage in anti-corruption movements and advocacy to change the status quo.

In Riska Mirzalina’s “The Cost of Corruptions: A Tale from Indonesia” she points out that:

• While Indonesia is a land of abundant resources, corruption prevents the country as a whole from benefiting from them.
• The change from a centralized government to a decentralized government has not had the desired affect and has actually provided more opportunities and alternate paths for people to participate in corruption.
•  Entrepreneurs, businesses, and associations must unify in their effort against corruption and bribery. The cost of not doing so is increased poverty, human suffering, and underdevelopment.

In Ruth Nyambura’s “Generation Now,” she talks about how:

• A large percentage of Kenya’s GDP is used to repay foreign aid. Much of the foreign aid is lost or misappropriated due to corruption.
• “Kitu kidogo” is a Kiswahili euphemism for a bribe. Bribes are pervasive in all facets of Kenyan life. As a result many entrepreneurs are choosing to leave the country, which has a negative effect on Kenyan society as a whole.
•  The new generation will bear the brunt of corruption. Therefore the youth should refuse any form of corrupt practices including cronyism, nepotism and tribalism. By utilizing technology and adopting social media platforms the youth can fight corruption.

Thank you for everyone who participated in the 2011 competition! We recently closed the 2012 CIPE Youth Essay Competition, and look forward to reading them and announcing the winners in spring of 2013!

Published Date: November 30, 2012

Related Content

Lights, camera, anti-corruption: the power of film for good governance, webinar: building more resilient private sector organizations through risk management, democracy that delivers #405 – acgc – a new guide for anti-corruption messaging in the real world.

Five approaches for young people to speak up against corruption

Minenhle mahlangu.

This is one of two winning blogs from the World Bank's International Corruption Hunters Alliance 2023 Blog Contest . In an effort to find a common solution to a common challenge, we asked to hear the views of African youth on the challenges of corruption. We asked for submissions, based on the situation in the blogger’s country, that answered the following question:  How can young people work with their governments, academia, and civil society organizations to speak up against corruption and counter the negative impacts corruption has on society?

Corruption poses a significant threat to society, hindering progress and impacting the lives of individuals, particularly the youth. By collaborating and employing innovative strategies, young individuals can play a crucial role in speaking up against corruption and countering its negative impacts. Here are five approaches that young people can embrace:

Gamification for Anti-Corruption: Harnessing technology, young individuals can develop interactive mobile games or apps that simulate real-life corruption scenarios. This approach raises awareness and promotes integrity and accountability among players. Through these tools, young people learn about the consequences of corruption, make ethical choices, and understand the importance of transparency and fairness. By gamifying the anti-corruption message, young people actively participate in the fight against corruption. 

Corruption Hackathons: Organizing corruption-focused hackathons brings together young coders, designers, and problem-solvers to develop innovative technological solutions. These events provide a platform for brainstorming ideas, creating prototypes, and developing tools to combat corruption effectively. The solutions generated can range from anti-corruption reporting platforms to citizen engagement apps. Corruption hackathons offer young people the opportunity to contribute their skills and make a tangible impact in the fight against corruption. 

Corruption-Free Business Certification: Young people can establish a certification program that recognizes and promotes businesses operating with transparency, integrity, and anti-corruption practices. This initiative incentivizes businesses to uphold high ethical standards and promotes a culture of integrity. By obtaining the certification, businesses demonstrate their commitment to combating corruption and gain trust from consumers and partners. The program can be developed in collaboration with government agencies, industry associations, and civil society organizations, contributing to a sustainable and responsible business ecosystem.

Transparency Cafes: Transparency Cafes provide a space for young people to host public events in coffee shops or community spaces, fostering discussions, knowledge-sharing, and learning about corruption issues. These gatherings bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds, including government officials, academics, activists, and concerned citizens. Through presentations, panel discussions, and workshops, Transparency Cafes offer a platform to understand the complexities of corruption, explore solutions, and learn from each other's experiences.   By organizing and participating in these cafes, young people actively contribute to raising awareness, fostering dialogue, and inspiring action against corruption.

Corruption Storytelling Podcasts: Young individuals can create and promote corruption storytelling podcasts, featuring personal stories, interviews, and discussions related to corruption. These podcasts delve into the impact of corruption on individuals and communities, highlight successful anti-corruption initiatives, and explore systemic challenges. By sharing compelling narratives and insights, corruption storytelling podcasts raise awareness, stimulate critical thinking, and encourage discussions They provide a platform for individuals to share experiences, insights, and solutions, creating a collective voice against corruption. Through these podcasts, young people can engage a wider audience, reach different demographics, and inspire action against corruption.

Young people have a unique perspective and energy that can drive positive change in the fight against corruption. Embracing the above approaches, youth can engage wider audiences, raise awareness, and promote transparency, integrity, and accountability. Together, we can build a society where corruption is no longer tolerated, and progress and opportunities flourish. 

Get updates from Youth Transforming Africa

Thank you for choosing to be part of the Youth Transforming Africa community!

Your subscription is now active. The latest blog posts and blog-related announcements will be delivered directly to your email inbox. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Guest Blogger

Join the Conversation

• Share on mail
• comments added

United Nations

Office on drugs and crime, ungass 2021 - young people gather to find ways to tackle corruption.

New York/Vienna, 24 May 2021 — Young people have much to lose from corruption, as it affects their employment prospects and impedes their access to basic services such as education and health care.

Over the next three days, 850 young people from 122 countries will gather online for the UNGASS Youth Forum against Corruption to discuss the effect of corruption on young people, and how the international community can better empower youth to actively engage in and help lead the design of future anti-corruption efforts.

Opening the Forum, Volkan Bozkir, President of the General Assembly, said that while youth was one group most hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, this time has also provided young people “with a window on the state of the world as it came to a standstill.”

While youth “have witnessed how the various actors took advantage of this crisis to engage in crime and corruption when lives were at stake,” Mr. Bozkir also emphasized that participants of the Forum represent 1.8 billion young people from all around the globe, and with this, he said, young people “have the power to end corruption, reduce inequalities and create a better world for all.”

“I urge you to use this opportunity to actively be part of solutions," said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly. "True progress relies on you being proactive and positive, to be part of the change that needs to happen. Good examples of good governance need to be celebrated and shared so they can inspire and help others.”

"Your voices will not only be heard here but your perspectives will be communicated to policymakers at the special session. With your help, we can ensure that UNGASS is not just an event but the beginning of transformative global action against corruption," she added.

“Corruption steals from young people and stymies progress - depriving them of a prosperous future,” said the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake. But all too often, “youth are excluded from decision-making, they lack access to information and are victims of corruption.”

Ms. Wickramanayake highlighted that young people "have the capacity to revolutionize the way society views and addresses corruption and while bringing energy, strength, and innovation to create real change.” She underlined the responsibility of the international community to “ensure that young people are not only heard, but understood, not only engaged but empowered, and not only contributing but leading global efforts.”

Youth rapporteurs will summarize the discussions during the UNGASS Youth Forum into a collective youth Statement. This call to action from young people on the current challenges they see in preventing and countering corruption, as well as their expectations of the international community in addressing this crime, will be presented by a Youth Forum representative to world leaders at the UN Special Session of the General Assembly against Corruption 2021 (UNGASS 2021), to be held from 2-4 June in New York.

Further information

UNGASS Youth Forum

UNODC – Education for Justice (E4J)

UNODC's Action against Corruption and Economic Crime

• Fraud Alert
• Legal Notice

• Get involved

• Pacific Youth Anti-Corruption Toolkit: Integrity in Action. Second Edition pdf (3.3 MB)

Pacific Youth Anti-Corruption Toolkit: Integrity in Action

Pacific Youth Anti-Corruption Toolkit: Integrity in Action. Second Edition

May 23, 2022

The toolkit is designed to help young people fight corruption. It acknowledges the creativity and energy of youth, and the critical role young people play as advocates for integrity, transparency and accountability, especially in today's hyper-connected media-rich world. It aims to empower young people to create change in the world, recognize and develop skills, and inspire others to prevent and fight corruption. This is critical if young people and everyone else in society are to enjoy skilled jobs and a better future.

The original toolkit was conceived by young people from 14 Pacific Island countries at the 2015 Pacific Youth Forum Against Corruption and developed in partnership with the Pacific Youth Council under the United Nations Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) project. This second edition, the result of a partnership between Australia Pacific Training Coalition and UN-PRAC and offers upgraded and revised advice, information and inspiration on building personal and community advocacy against corruption.

The toolkit is easy-to-use and interactive. Users are free to decide how much, when and how they want to explore. Aside from skills development, the toolkit aims to promote, enable and inspire energy and enthusiasm in the integrity youth movement in the Pacific. Youth voices must be heard as well-informed anti-corruption advocates if corruption is not to damage sustainable development in the region.

We hope that this revised toolkit will help young people everywhere make change happen.

Development of the toolkit was supported by the UN-PRAC project with funding from the Australian and New Zealand Governments.

Regions and Countries

Sustainable development goals, related publications, publications, project brief - government middle school nuku'alofa water....

A site brief for the Gov4Res Government Middle School Nuku'alofa Water Tank and Footpath Project on the island of Tongatapu.

Briefing Package - Exposure to Sea Level Rise and Marine ...

A short briefing for the UN Secretary General's visit to Hahake, as part of his mission to Tonga.

Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project - TCAP II - Environment...

Following the success of the Tuvalu Coastal Adaptation Project’s (TCAP) stage 1 reclamation works, the Government of Tuvalu (GoT) has received funding from the ...

Plastics Substitution - Current Initiatives and Potential...

Plastic pollution is perhaps one of the most significant environmental concerns across the Pacific region. Recently, Pacific leaders noted that the challenge of...

2024 Pacific Snapshot - Asia-Pacific Human Development Re...

While progress across several key indicators has been made, the UN Development Programme Pacific Snapshot of the 2024 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report high...

Annual Report 2023: A Malaria Free Vanuatu

Despite multiple challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and tropical cyclones causing interuptions to health services and responses to malaria cases, the M...

United Nations

Global resource for anti-corruption education and youth empowerment.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Global resource for anti-corruption education and youth empowerment (grace).

WHAT'S COMING UP?

10 steps to take action against corruption: for youth by youth

UNODC's GRACE initiative supports development of anti-corruption education in Kazakhstan

Regional dialogue on strengthening the role of youth, academia and civil society in Asia and Europe in implementing the UN Convention against Corruption

International Day of Education: educating youth to help combat corruption

UNODC and USAID support anti-corruption education at universities in Ukraine

• Fraud Alert
• Legal Notice