NCJ Number
196692
Date Published
April 2002
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This Australian study assessed the nature and direction of the relationship between levels of participation in community-oriented activities and local crime.
Abstract
Local government areas (LGA's) in the eastern Australian State were the units of analysis for the study. The data consisted of measurements for the following types of local area characteristics: rates of violent and property crime, rates of participation in a community-oriented activity, and measures of structural characteristics of areas. Data on the LGAs' crime rates were either obtained directly from published crime statistics or derived from postcode counts of recorded crime. Participation in community service-oriented activities was measured by the number of members of Scouts Australia per 1,000 LGA residents, as well as by membership in some State Emergency Services activities. Negative binomial regression was used for data analysis. The data analysis found that crime rates were lower in local areas with high levels of participation in community-oriented activities; and a doubling in the rate of membership in community organizations had the potential to reduce violent crime by between one-fifth and one-third and property crime by between one-twentieth and one-tenth. Increased participation in community organizations may prove distinctively beneficial in rural Australia. Out-migration has been identified as a major problem in rural centers. These findings suggest that participation in community activities and services has the potential to overcome some of the negative impact that high population mobility has on local levels of crime. 1 table, 4 figures, and 33 references