NCJ Number
3319
Journal
Law and Society Review Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1971) Pages: 247-265
Date Published
1971
Length
19 pages
Annotation
PUBLIC REACTION TO CRIME WAS INVESTIGATED IN TWO COMMUNITIES TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRIME RATES AND ATTITUDES TOWARD THE LAW.
Abstract
A NUMBER OF MEASURES OF THE CRIMINAL ENVIRONMENTS OF TWO COMMUNITIES DEMONSTRATED THAT THE SAMPLE LIVING IN THE AREA WITH THE HIGHER OFFICIAL CRIME RATE WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOCAL CRIME PROBLEM THAN WAS THE SAMPLE FROM THE LOW CRIME RATE SUBURB. SUPPORT FOR THE LAW, MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF CRIMES A SUBJECT EXPRESSED A WILLINGNESS TO REPORT TO THE POLICE, ALSO SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT CROSS-SAMPLE DIFFERENCE, WITH THE RESIDENTS OF THE HIGH CRIME RATE URBAN AREA BEING LESS WILLING TO CALL THE POLICE. THIS INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRIMINAL ENVIRONMENT AND SUPPORT FOR THE LAW WAS ALSO TESTED WITHIN EACH SAMPLE, AND IT WAS FOUND THAT WHILE THE RELATIONSHIP WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FOR EITHER SAMPLE, IT WAS IN THE DIRECTION EXPECTED--THE MORE CRIME PERCEIVED, THE LESS SUPPORT FOR THE LAW. SEVERAL EXPLANATIONS ARE OFFERED FOR THIS PHENOMENON.