NCJ Number
125400
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 68 Issue: 2 Dated: (December 1989) Pages: 489-512
Date Published
1989
Length
34 pages
Annotation
This study uses dual labor market theory to explore the relations between violent crime, the structure of labor in census tracts, and economic indicators, testing the hypothesis that the relationship between poverty, income inequality, and crime is impacted by the distribution of workers into primary and secondary sectors of the labor market.
Abstract
The analysis supported this hypothesis by demonstrating that income inequality and poverty do not appear to be significant predictors of violent crime rates with the exception of murder, but that labor instability does impact the crime rates of murder, assault, rape, and robbery. These results contradict traditional interpretations of deprivation as a cause of violent crime. But by accounting for the labor structure, the effects of economic distributions on crime rates can be understood. Labor stratification affects the likelihood that young males will find themselves in situations conducive to crime, and influences the distribution of persons bonded to careers, places of employment, and coworkers, which will increase the probability of criminal behavior. Future research is needed to identify the relationships between labor instability and specific violent crimes; while labor stratification has strong effects on homicide and assault, its relationships with rape and robbery are less explicit. 4 tables, 2 figures, 12 notes, 69 references. (Author abstract modified)