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Measuring Diffusion of Assaults Around Bars Through Radius and Adjacency Techniques

NCJ Number
223312
Journal
Criminal Justice Review Volume: 33 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2008 Pages: 199-220
Author(s)
Rebecca K. Murray; Dennis W. Roncek
Date Published
June 2008
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This is a comparative analysis of circular buffers and adjacent blocks for measuring diffusion effects of violence around bars.
Abstract
Although not definitive, the results of this research show that serious losses in the counts of crime can occur depending on the measurement technique used, resulting in very different conclusions as to the efficacy of theoretical mechanisms. The results also clearly indicate that measurement techniques do matter and can significantly alter research outcomes. The importance of measuring spatial diffusion effects has come to the forefront of criminological research. Along with increased interest in measuring diffusion effects, and improved practical applications for Geographical Information Systems (GIS), a variety of methodologies for measuring diffusion effects have been introduced, including radial buffers and adjacent block measurement, as well as more advanced techniques. This research is a first attempt at a comparison of two methods used to measure geographical diffusion of crime: radial buffers and adjacent blocks, both in terms of theoretical robustness and practical usefulness, through an examination of the dispersion of assaults to the areas around bars. Tables, figure, and references