Take the Car Keys Away: Metropolitan Structure and the Long Road to Delinquency

• NCJ Number: 238166
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 40 Issue: 1 Dated: January/February 2012 Pages: 83-93
• Author(s): Gisela Bichler; Carlena A. Orosco; Joseph A. Schwartz
• Date Published: February 2012
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

Using a large sample (N = 2,552) of both delinquent and at-risk youth, this study compared the impact on their mobility of their individual characteristics and metropolitan socioeconomic and spatial structure ("urban backcloth").

Abstract

The findings suggest that although vehicle accessibility and type of residential community similarly influenced the travel distance of delinquents and at-risk youth, differences in the performance of other variables was evident. Measurable variation was found in the size and scope of delinquents' activity space compared to at-risk youth. Intercity hierarchical structure was significant in relation to travel distances for both delinquents and at-risk youth. Youth living in isolated communities traveled farther, presumably because of a lack of nearby attractive "hangout" settings or a need to travel a greater distance to avoid adult supervision. This effect was significantly stronger among delinquents compared to at-risk youth. Several variables often used to indicate socioeconomic conditions of a community were significantly related to decreased travel range among delinquents, but not the at-risk population. Higher median income and the presence of a high percentage of youth in a community decreased the travel range for delinquent youth. These findings support the conclusion of Brantingham and Brantingham (1984, 2008) that offender behavior and crime patterns are related to urban structure and socioeconomic factors that shape travel behavior. This suggests the importance of a regional approach to the documentation of crime incidents and in performing crime analysis. Further, crime prevention planning should consider ways to decrease the influence of community contextual factors that facilitate increased mobility space for youth. Reducing mobility space should increase the influence of informal social control exercised by family and neighbors as well as the formal social control exercised by local police. 3 tables, 20 notes, 86 references, and appended mathematical models used in the analysis