U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Correlates of Participation in Collective Responses to Crime

NCJ Number
82418
Author(s)
F DuBow; A Podolefsky
Date Published
1978
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Based on an analysis of pooled citywide samples from a random digit dialing telephone survey conducted in San Francisco, Chicago, and Philadelphia, this study examines the correlates of participation in neighborhood groups' collective responses to crime.
Abstract
Although only 10 percent of the sample reported participation in collective responses to crime, these persons represented more than half of all persons involved in neighborhood organizations. Sixty-six percent of all neighborhood groups had some type of crime response, and in such organizations, 75 percent of the members participated. Thus, there was a high likelihood that persons involved in neighborhood groups will participate in collective responses to crime when given the opportunity. While the characteristics of persons involved in collective responses to crime and those involved in neighborhood organizations resembled one another, there were substantial differences in the characteristics of involved and uninvolved persons. Neighborhood involvement was more likely for persons with higher levels of education, children living in the home, owning their homes, a greater experience of social integration, and who feel a part of the neighborhood. The significant step in getting people to participate in collective responses to crime appears to be getting them involved in neighborhood groups. No significant relationship was shown between perceptions of crime and participation in collective responses to crime. Tabular data and 10 references are provided. (Author abstract modified)