NCJ Number
247475
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 54 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2014 Pages: 503-526
Date Published
July 2014
Length
24 pages
Annotation
Using data from face-to-face interviews with 61,436 residents of 4,761 London neighborhoods, this study examined whether neighborhood characteristics (collective efficacy and neighborhood disorder) are linked to residents' beliefs and worries about neighborhood violence.
Abstract
The study found that residents living in neighborhoods characterized by a greater degree of interpersonal trust and social cohesion among neighbors had an increased capacity for informally controlling disorderly behavior (collective efficacy). This collective efficacy was associated with a lower level of concern about becoming a crime victim, and they were less likely to believe that violent crime was a problem in their neighborhood. In confirmation of much existing research, neighborhood disorder was also found to be a key driver of residents' beliefs about the prevalence of violence in the neighborhood, as well as their levels of concern about being victimized. Some of these signs of disorder included graffiti, vandalism, and teens loitering in public places. Consistent with the findings of Sutherland et al. (2013), however, the current study did not find a consistent link between collective efficacy and actual neighborhood crime rates. This suggests that although collective efficacy and associated informal social control reduce anxiety about becoming a crime victim, they are not sufficient to deter or prevent actual crime. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 70 references