Effects of Urbanization and Neighborhood Characteristics on Criminal Victimization (From Metropolitan Crime Patterns, P 3-25, et al, eds. See NCJ-102783)

• NCJ Number: 102784
• Author(s): R J Sampson
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 23 pages
• Sale Source: Criminal Justice Press/Willow Tree Press
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

National Crime Survey data on victimization from 1973-1978 formed the basis of an analysis of the effects of neighborhood characteristics and the extent of urbanization on rates of theft and violent personal victimization.

Abstract

The data represented about 800,000 interviews of household members. The neighborhood characteristics studies were poverty, racial composition, and density of multifamily buildings. The first stage of the data analysis separately assessed each neighborhood characteristic while controlling for the victim's age. The second stage examined the multivariate effects of poverty, racial composition, structural density, and urbanization. Regardless of age, racial composition, and poverty, both the extent of urbanization and the housing density had significant positive effects on victimization. Poverty tended to increase the victimization risk only in urban ares, while density increased victimization in suburban and rural areas. Researchers need to consider both neighborhood factors and the urban-rural dimension in explaining victimization. Data tables and 65 reference notes. (Author abstract modified)