NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS AS PREDICTORS OF PERCEIVED SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD VIOLENT CRIME

Abstract

Neighborhood violent crime is an issue that plagues many communities in the U.S. and throughout the world. In this study the authors examine some of the major predictors of violent crime and perceived safety in a small municipality in a region of the Great Lakes region of the US that has experienced significant population loss and blight. Applying Social Disorganization Theory, neighborhood watch group members in five census tracts; approximately 500 residents were surveyed concerning the characteristics of their neighborhoods and how these characteristics may influence their perceived safety and the violent crimes in their immediate blocks. Using multiple regression and MANOVA this study tested seven hypotheses. The results of this study were consistent with previous research and found that neighborhood disorder significantly predicted perceived safety, neighborhood violent crime severity and neighborhood violent crime frequency. Additionally, neighborhood cohesion was found to increase the perceived safety of residents in this study.