Disorder and Community Decline: Final Report to the National Institute of Justice

• NCJ Number: 108736
• Author(s): W G Skogan
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 119 pages
• Grant Number(s): 85-IJ-CX-0074
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This study examined the findings of five different analyses of the relationship among disorder, crime, fear, and community decline.

Abstract

Conducted between 1977 and 1983 the studies included 40 urban neighborhoods in Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Newark. It was hypothesized that stable neighborhoods change only slowly, but when stabilizing mechanisms fail, areas can slip into a cycle of decline in which feedback processes take control of neighborhood conditions spiraling them into further decline, disorder, and crime. The cross sectional data indicate that disorder was more prevalent in poorer, less stable, minority neighborhoods. It was related to less frequent social interaction, withdrawal from community life, lower community solidarity, less informal cooperation among neighbors to prevent crime, and less household crime prevention activity. It also was related to perceived neighborhood crime problems, robbery victimization, and fear of crime. Finally, disorder was related to lower levels of neighborhood satisfaction, a desire to move, less satisfaction with new neighbors, and lack of attention by area landlords. Research methodology and supplemental materials are appended. 29 tables and figures and 109 references.