NCJ Number
175831
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 39 Issue: 4 Dated: October 1997 Pages: 387-402
Date Published
1997
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article investigates the effect of geographic mobility as a possibly disintegrative force weakening informal social control, resulting in higher crime rates.
Abstract
Canadian western provinces persistently have generally higher crime rates, but there has been little research directed at explaining this trend. This study investigated the effect of geographic mobility as a possibly disintegrative force that weakens informal social control, resulting in higher crime rates. Multiple regression techniques were used to assess the effect of geographic mobility net of several other potential predictors. The results support the hypothesis of a positive net effect of geographic mobility on both violent and property crime rates over a 20-year period. Additional research is needed concerning, among other things: internal variations in the role of geographic mobility on crime rates; measures of change in the predictor variables; and community surveys to measure more directly the intervening processes hypothesized to link geographic mobility and crime. Table, notes, references