NCJ Number
106537
Journal
Social Problems Volume: 34 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1987) Pages: 187-212
Date Published
1987
Length
25 pages
Annotation
The unemployment/crime rate relationship (U-C) has been described recently as 'inconsistent,' 'insignificant,' and 'weak.'
Abstract
Prior assessments of the U-C relationship have used no more than 18 U-C studies, and no more than 7 with 1970's data. In this paper, the author reviews the findings of 63 U-C studies, 40 of which involve data from the 1970s when unemployment rose dramatically. His analysis shows the conditional nature of the U-C relationship. Property crimes, 1970's data, and subnational levels of aggregation produce consistently positive and frequently significant U-C results. He discusses the implications of these results and argues that it is premature to abandon 'this well-plowed terrain' and suggests potentially fruitful paths for future studies of the U-C relationship. (Author abstract modified)