NCJ Number
7303
Date Published
1969
Length
150 pages
Annotation
ATTEMPT TO RELATE POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS TO RATES OF DEVIANCE IN URBAN AREAS.
Abstract
THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE DIRECTION AND STRENGTH OF STATISTICAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RATES OF ROBBERY AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND THE DEMOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CITIES WITH POPULATIONS EXCEEDING 100,000 AND THE STANDARD METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS OF WHICH THE CITIES FORM A PART. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT A GENERAL CRIME INDEX SHOULD NOT BE USED BECAUSE IT TENDS TO OBSCURE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE TYPES OF BEHAVIOR INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT CRIMINAL ACTS. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT THE SYMMETRICAL TREATMENT OF TWO UNITS OF ANALYSIS PROVIDED AN EMPIRICAL BASIS FOR ESTIMATING THE EXTENT TO WHICH GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRIME AND DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES CAN BE MADE FROM ONE URBAN UNIT TO ANOTHER, I.E., FROM CITIES TO THEIR CORRESPONDING STANDARD METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS. THE DIFFERENCES IN THE CORRELATIONS FOR THESE TWO UNITS LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION THAT GENERALIZATIONS NOT BASED ON EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE SHOULD NOT BE MADE FROM ONE UNIT OF ANALYSIS TO ANOTHER. APPENDICES CONTAIN STATISTICAL DATA. BIBLIOGRAPHY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)