NCJ Number
216818
Journal
Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 29 Issue: 2 Dated: 2006 Pages: 117-140
Date Published
2006
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between structural antecedents of social disorganization and violent crime in rural Appalachia.
Abstract
Study findings indicate limited support for social disorganization’s applicability to rural Appalachian counties. Only one of the core variables in the traditional social disorganization literature, poverty, consistently predicted violent crimes across models. Specifically, poverty does not cause residents of rural areas to become more mobile, but it may still have a disorganizing result due to the effect it has on services such as schools, law enforcement, and victim services. The variables renter-occupied housing and population density were also found to be strong predictors of violent crime. Based on the results, it may be the case that disorganization occurs differently in rural and urban counties. While commonly used indicators of social disorganization do not ultimately behave in the same manner in both urban and rural locales, they do not necessarily deviate from the hypothesized patterns as set forth in the social disorganization literature. While social disorganization theory has a long history in criminological literature, tests of the theory’s applicability in rural settings are minimal. This study presents a county-level analysis of social disorganization and violent crime in rural Appalachia. The study utilized a negative binomial regression with the intent to test whether or not the most commonly used indicators of social disorganization theory be applied universally, or strictly in urban settings. Tables, references