| Recent victimization studies find that individuals who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods are more likely to be victimized than individuals in more affluent neighborhoods. The dominant view attributes this disparity in victimization to lower levels of social control in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Yet some research challenges this view by asserting that the effect of social control on victimization risk depends upon the level of neighborhood disadvantage (e.g., Skogan). Specifically, this view contends that neighborhood disadvantage thwarts the effectiveness of social control in reducing victimization risk. Using data from the Police Services Study for 9,993 respondents across neighborhoods in St. Petersburg/Tampa (FL), Rochester (NY), and St. Louis (MO), I assess this claim by examining the role of neighborhood social control--neighboring, informal social control, and public control--on household and personal victimization across neighborhoods with varying levels of disadvantage. Preliminary results indicate that the effect of a neighborhood's level of social control is conditioned by neighborhood disadvantage. I conclude with a discussion about the important influence of social control on victimization risk and its applicability to disadvantaged neighborhoods. |
Updated 05/20/2006