| The paper tests an extended model of social disorganization theory proposed by Sampson and Groves (1989), who suggest that neighborhoods with high residential mobility, racial heterogeneity, family disruption, and low SES tend to have sparse local friendship networks, low organizational participation, and unsupervised youth groups, which, in turn, contribute to high crime rates-. Data used in this research were originally collected from 8,15 5 Individuals by several research projects conducted between 1983 and 1990 across 36 neighborhoods in seven U.S. cities (Skogan, 1994). Individual survey responses were aggregated to neighborhood level to provide measures of neighborhood structural and organization characteristics and victimization, rates. Regression results indicate that Sampson and Groves' model is generally supported by the American data. Structural and organization variables taken from social disorganization theory show a strong explanatory power of robbery and burglary rates. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed. |
Updated 05/20/2006