NCJ Number
54127
Date Published
1978
Length
74 pages
Annotation
IN A STUDY OF FOUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN CHICAGO, ILL., THE DISTRIBUTION OF CRIME, ATTITUDES TOWARDS CRIME, AND PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
IT IS PROPOSED THAT FEAR OF CRIME IS AFFECTED NOT ONLY BY THE INCIDENCE OF CRIME IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT ALSO BY THE LEVEL OF INCIVILITY. INCIVILITY IS DEFINED AS THE SIGNS OF COMMUNITY DISORDER PERCEIVED BY NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS. FEAR OF CRIME IS VIEWED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF NOT ONLY THE AMOUNT OF CRIME IN AN AREA, BUT ALSO OF VARIOUS DANGER SIGNS WHICH MAY HAVE LITTLE TO DO WITH THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF SERIOUS CRIME. DATA WERE OBTAINED PRIMARILY FROM THREE SOURCES: (1) AN EXTENSIVE SERIES OF FIELD OBSERVATIONS IN FOUR SELECTED NEIGHBORHOODS (I.E., LINCOLN PARK, WICKER PARK, WOODLAWN, AND BACK OF THE YARDS) OVER A PERIOD OF 14 MONTHS; (2) 1,800 TELEPHONE SURVEYS, RANDOMLY SAMPLED, OF RESIDENTS IN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD; AND (3) OFFICIAL CRIME RATES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. IT WAS FOUND THAT FEAR OF AND CONCERN ABOUT CRIME ARE RELATED TO PERCEPTIONS OF UNCIVIL BEHAVIOR AS WELL AS PERCEPTIONS OF SERIOUS CRIME. IT APPEARS THAT ADDITIONAL FACTORS BESIDES CRIME ITSELF CONTRIBUTE TO FEAR AND CONCERN. THEREFORE, A COMBINATION OF FACTORS NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE INCIDENCE OF CRIME MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIGHER LEVELS OF CONCERN ABOUT CRIME IN SOME URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS. OTHER FACTORS WERE UNCOVERED THAT CORRELATED WITH PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME: VANDALISM, GRAFFITI, GROUPS OF TEENAGERS, AND ABANDONED BUILDINGS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT, IF TRADITIONAL POLICING METHODS PROVE INEFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THE FEAR OF CRIME GENERATED BY NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS, ALTERNATIVE AVENUES SHOULD BE EXPLORED. COMMUNITY EFFORTS AT REDUCING NEIGHBORHOOD INCIVILITY ARE ENCOURAGED. TABLES, FIGURES, AND LIST OF REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (MLC)