NCJ Number
138575
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 70 Issue: 1 Dated: (September 1991) Pages: 165-185
Date Published
1991
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Using a pooled cross-sectional and time-series design of 584 U.S. cities for the years 1960, 1970, and 1980, this study assesses the empirical adequacy of two general crime- causes theoretical perspectives: criminal opportunity and social disorganization.
Abstract
Explanations for rising crime rates in the United States have taken various forms. Traditional theories of criminality (for example, anomie, differential association, conflict, and social bonding) identify the level of social integration, cultural conflict, economic inequality, and breakdown in social control as major correlates of crime. During the last decade, several opportunity-based theories (routine activities, lifestyle-exposure, and rational choice modes) have emerged as rival explanations for changing crime rates. Criminal opportunity theories presume that crime is fostered by the leisure and sustenance activities of daily life. Under these theories, macrodynamic forces in conventional society influence crime rates by enhancing the exposure of potential victims to dangerous locales, increasing the supply of attractive targets and reducing the level of protection or guardianship. This study extends previous work by examining how changes in routine-activity patterns and measures of social disorganization are associated with temporal changes in crime rates in large U.S. cities. The cross-sectional findings were far more supportive of social-disorganization theories than criminal- opportunity theories; however, neither perspective was able to explain consistently changes in crime rates over time. Ethnic heterogeneity, household size, and the rate of crowding in households were the strongest predictors of the level and changes in official rates of homicide, robbery, and burglary. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research. 3 tables, 9 notes, and 43 references