NCJ Number
63286
Date Published
1921
Length
13 pages
Annotation
THIS 1921 ARTICLE COMPARES URBAN AND RURAL CRIME AND DISCUSSES THE FORCES WHICH ACCENTUATE URBAN CRIMINALITY, ORGANIZED VICE IN CITIES, UNORGANIZED VICE IN THE COUNTRY, AND POPULATION INFLUENCES ON CRIME.
Abstract
PROSTITUTION, DRUNKENNESS, GAMBLING, AND CRIME APPEAR TO BE MORE PREVALENT IN CITIES THAN IN RURAL AREAS. FOR EXAMPLE, 1881 FIGURES FROM ITALY SHOW THAT URBAN AREAS HAD A LARGER INCIDENCE OF CRIME IN PROPORTION TO POPULATION THAN DID RURAL AREAS. FORCES WHICH ACCENTUATE URBAN CRIMINALITY INCLUDE CONGESTED POPULATION, VIOLATION OF CITY ORDINANCES WHICH ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO RURAL AREAS, NEWSPAPER REPORTS OF CRIME WHICH INFLUENCE MORE CRIME, AND A COMPLEX SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. FURTHERMORE, CERTAIN CRIMES CAN BE COMMITTED MOST SUCCESSFULLY IN CITIES, (E.G., PICKPOCKETING, PROPERTY CRIMES, BURGLARY, BLACKMAIL, CRIMINAL ABORTION, AND VARIOUS TYPES OF FRAUD). HOWEVER, SEVERAL CRIMES (INFANTICIDE, CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON, AND, IN GENERAL, VIOLENT AND BRUTAL CRIMES), OCCUR MORE FREQUENTLY IN RURAL AREAS. SUCH ACTIVITIES AS GAMBLING, PROSTITUTION, AND EXCESSIVE DRINKING ALSO OCCUR IN THE COUNTRY, BUT THEY ARE NOT NEARLY AS ORGANIZED THERE AS THEY ARE IN THE CITY. EXCESSIVE AND MALICIOUS GOSSIPING, SCANDALMONGERING, NAGGING, BIGOTRY, AND UNSCRUPULOUS CUNNING IN COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED VICIOUS; THE RURAL POPULATION IS PROBABLY WORSE IN THESE RESPECTS THAN THE URBAN POPULATION. ANOTHER CRITICAL FACTOR IN THE GROWTH OF URBAN CRIME IS UNCONTROLLED POPULATION GROWTH. FEW CHANGES COULD BE OF GREATER VALUE TO SOCIETY IN GENERAL AND TO THE POORER CLASSES IN PARTICULAR THAN ABOLISHING THE RESTRICTIVE POLICIES OF BIRTH CONTROL INFORMATION DISSEMINATION. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED.