Clete Snell

Snell shows how weak primary and secondary relationships, weak parochial and public control, and high levels of disorder are directly related to increased crime and fear of crime in unstable, racially heterogeneous neighborhoods.

Snell's findings indicate that minority neighborhoods with high levels of disorder and low levels of neighborhood interaction and trust are likely to have higher crime rates. Poor urban neighborhoods with high levels of disorder and fewer family and friendship networks tend to have high levels of fear of crime. Finally, neighborhood disorder is an important factor in explaining crime rates and fear of crime.

These findings lend partial support to Bursik and GrasmickÕs Systemic Neighborhood Control Theory. Their theory is that neighborhood differences in levels of crime and fear of crime result from variations in the ability of neighborhoods to maintain social control. Neighborhood social control is a function of the quality and density of formal and informal networks.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Bursik and Grasmick's Systemic Theory of Neighborhood Control
3. Review of Literature
4. Methodology
5. Findings
   
References
Index

2001. viii, 160 pages. ISBN 1-931202-07-9. $52.
netLibrary eBook under ISBN 1-931202-79-6.