NONCOMPLIANCE WITH LAW - A UTILITY ANALYSIS OF CITY CRIME RATES

• NCJ Number: 45434
• Journal: Social Science Quarterly Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1977) Pages: 195-214
• Author(s): D W BROWN; S L MCDOUGAL
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 20 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Texas Press
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS ARE REPORTED OF A 1971 STUDY TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH VARIATION IN CRIME RATES CAN BE EXPLAINED BY UTILITY FACTORS, AND THE EFFECTS OF COSTS AND BENEFITS OF CRIME AND COMPLIANT ACTIVITY ON THAT VARIATION.

Abstract

APPLIED TO COMPLIANCE WITH LAW, UTILITY THEORY STATES THAT A PERSON WILL COMPLY WITH A GIVEN DIRECTIVE WHEN THE UTILITY OF COMPLIANCE EXCEEDS THE UTILITY OF NONCOMPLIANCE, BUT WILL NOT WHEN THE CONVERSE IS TRUE. THE UTILITY OF AN ACTION IS THE SUM OF THE BENEFITS AND COSTS WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL EXPECTS TO INCUR FROM PERFORMING IT. DATA WERE COLLECTED ON THE CRIME RATES OF 108 CALIFORNIA CITIES WITH POPULATIONS GREATER THEN 25,000. RATES FOR SEVEN MAJOR CRIMES WERE TREATED AS DEPENDENT VARIABLES. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES CONSIDERED WERE COSTS OF NONCOMPLIANCE (CN) BENEFITS OF NONCOMPLIANCE (BN) AND BENEFITS OF COMPLIANCE (BC). EACH CRIME RATE WAS REGRESSED ON THE SET OF THEORETICALLY RELEVENT INDEPENDENT VARIABLES THAT SERVED AS INDICATORS OF CN, BN, AND BC, SUCH AS PROBABILITY OF ARREST, MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, AND EMPLOYMENT RATE. THE DATA ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT: (1) THE INDICATORS OF THE UTILITY FACTORS STUDIED ACCOUNT FOR 31 TO 61 PERCENT OF THE VARIATION IN CRIME RATES IN THE CITIES ON WHICH DATA WERE COLLECTED, MORE THAN COULD SANCTIONING PROBABILITY ALONE; AND (2) THE RELATIVE CONTRIBUTION OF MEASURES FOR COSTS AND BENEFITS OF CRIME AND BENEFITS OF COMPLIANCE SHIFT SOMEWHAT ACROSS CRIMES. VARIATIONS IN INDICES FOR BC HAVE THE SHARPEST EFFECT ON THE OVERALL RATE OF MAJOR CRIMES, FOLLOWED BY THOSE FOR BN AND CN. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS INCLUDE: (1) RESEARCH WHICH TRIES TO EXPLAIN CRIME CAN DO SO MORE POWERFULLY BY USE OF A STRATEGY THAT RECOGNIZES THE EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE VARIABLES ON HUMAN BEHAVIOR; AND (2) VARIATION IN EXPECTED BENEFITS OF COMPLIANCE MAY HAVE SHARPER EFFECTS ON CERTAIN CRIME RATES THAN DOES VARIATION IN BENEFITS OF NONCOMPLIANCE AND/OR COSTS OF NONCOMPLIANCE, A POSSIBILITY WHICH IS RELEVANT TO BOTH THEORETICAL AND PUBLIC POLICY CONCERNS. SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.