Social Disorganization Theory

Rational Choice Theory and Policy Options

• Positive Incentives: Increasing the Value of Alternatives to Crime

  • Focus on providing better, lawful opportunities to deter crime.

  • Example: Dr. Hart’s Insights on Addiction.

• Negative Incentives: Increasing the Costs Associated with Criminal Behavior

  • Implementing more severe punishments for crimes.

  • Increasing difficulty in committing crimes serves as a deterrent.

Situational Crime Prevention

• Target Hardening:

  • Measures taken to reinforce physical defenses against crime.

  • Example: "The Club" as a steering wheel lock.

• Target Reduction:

  • Technologies like Lojack that help in recovering stolen vehicles.

Externalities in Crime Prevention

• Unforeseen Consequences of Crime Prevention Strategies

  • Positive Externality:

    • Diffusion/Discouragement of crime due to preventative measures.

    • Example: Effectiveness of Lojack.

  • Negative Externality:

    • Displacement of crime, where crime shifts to areas with fewer defenses.

    • Example: Increased criminal activities around "The Club" locations.

Limitations of Rational Choice Theory

• Basic framework lacks depth without contextual understanding.

  • Acts as a preliminary gateway to other theories.

• Assumptions:

  • Focus primarily on offender calculation rather than crime types.

  • Could overlook emotional and impaired decision-making factors.

• Criticism:

  • Many crimes not fully explained; insufficient empirical evidence supporting deterrent policies.

Social Structural Theories of Crime

• Definition of Structure:

  • Ordered interrelationships and patterns of social behavior within society.

  • External factors that constrain behavior include:

    • Gender, Race, Class, Religion, Law, Culture.

Structural Theories of Crime: Effects of Stratification

• Economic Stratification:

  • Impact on crime rate and community well-being.

    • Identifies connections between community economic issues and rising crime.

  • **Theories:

    • Social Disorganization Theory: How community structure fails.

    • Strain Theory: Individual pressures leading to criminal behavior.

Social Disorganization Theory

• Key Contributors: Shaw, McKay, Rob Sampson

• Social Organization Definition:

  • Interdependent social networks fostering collective efficacy.

• Social Disorganization:

  • Community’s inability to uphold shared values and maintain social controls.

  • Structural barriers hinder community ties that solve common issues.

  • Outcome: Higher likelihood of crime.

Economic Stratification and Social Disorganization

• Sources of Social Disorganization:

  • Urbanization and physical deterioration.

  • Residential mobility that disrupts community cohesiveness.

  • Racial heterogeneity and family disruptions.

Effects of Economic Stratification on Community

• Increased crime rates.

• Erosion of friendship networks and community participation.

• Loss of control over teenage peer groups.

Case Study: Oil Rush in North Dakota

• Discovery led to economic expansion, rising population, and employment opportunities.

• Watford City's population doubled, leading to a strained police force and rising crime rates.

• Quote from Riely emphasizes transient population challenges.

Social Disorganization Theory: Measuring Crime

• Utilizes various methods:

  • Official police statistics (Shaw and McKay).

  • Self-reports of crime (Sampson).

  • Spatial analysis conducted by institutions like the Brookings Institution.

Crime Prevention Policies

• Strategic focus on community investment and development:

  • Invest in place initiatives:

    • Strengthen community organizations and civil societies.

    • Support economic development, health care, and housing improvements.

    • Create community spaces.

Invest in Place: Economic Development Initiatives

• Encourage employment through programs:

  • Summer jobs and job training opportunities.

  • Focus on mental health and alternative responders.

Invest in Place: Housing Initiatives

• Secure and improve housing:

  • Support for individuals in need and penalizing slumlords.

  • Enhance infrastructure with better lighting and garbage collection.

Invest in Place: Civil Society and Community Norms

• Operation Cease Fire:

  • Goal: Restore community norms and supervision for teenagers.

  • Update initiatives to keep community engagement high.

Invest in Place: Built Environment

• Research findings indicate:

  • Presence of greenery correlates with stronger community ties.

  • Initiatives to revitalize neighborhoods with parks and community gardens enhance social activity.

Space and Community Building Research Findings

• Evidence shows lower collective efficacy in crime hotspot neighborhoods.

• Creating '3D places' to stimulate social interactions outside homes and workplaces involves integrating arts, culture, and sports.