Activist Puts Cosby's Words into Action

"We don't have a choice. Either we deal with the problems in the community, or they'll deal with us."

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Poverty and Juvenile Delinquency

Ludwig, Duncan, and Hirschfield (2001) examine how juvenile crime is impacted by families moving from high to low poverty neighborhoods and communities. The thought is that removing children from areas with high levels of poverty will reduce the changes of involving themselves in crime. The authors look at juvenile arrest records in order to see if there is a difference between high and low poverty areas. For more.

Crime and the Neighborhood

Krivo and Peterson (1996) look at the relationship between neighborhood conditions and crime. They examine how neighborhood conditions can have an impact on the level of crime in an area. The article also looks at the difference in crime rates in primarily Caucasian and African American neighborhoods and communities. The authors look at the psychological separation that occurs for individuals from impoverished areas compared to areas that have greater development. See more.

Social Workers in the Community

This study looks at participation in neighborhood organizations within poor communities. It is related to the collective efficacy among residents. The results from this study show that the more residents participate in neighborhood organization the greater their level of organizational collective efficacy but not neighborhood collective efficacy. More importantly, this study will support social workers in advocating for the importance of collective efficacy. For more.

The Effects of Neighborhood Violence

This study suggests that low-income African American children may experience physical symptoms in response to neighborhood violence. Jones et al. (2005) looked at three domains of psychosocial adjustment in low-income urban African American children: internalizing, externalizing, and physical symptoms. Further research is needed, but from this study one can see the importance of a neighborhood's influence on children...For more.

Community Problems and Juvenile Delinquency

Hay et al. (2006) examine the relationship between the social context and variables that represent the parent-child relationship on crime levels. Family variables and community levels of disadvantage are examined through U.S. census data and parent ratings. The study looks at how community disadvantage magnifies the problems associated for families with crime. The article primarily looks at the relationship between family problems and social context in determining juvenile crime levels... for more.

Poverty in the Big Apple

In this article Bob Herbert expresses that the greatest challenge most American cities face lies in the increasing divide between "the haves and have-nots." In New York City, one of the primary problems is that kids in the poorest neighborhoods DO NOT feel safe! The kids report feeling worried about the violence levels in their neighborhoods. The article mentions that the upcoming presidential campaign should focus on urban issues. See more.

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Young People and Violent Crime

Alfred Blumstein examines violence displayed by young people in the latter part of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s. He explains how violence in the late 1980s and early 1990s rose due to the increase in young people committing crimes. The increase in violence committed by young people can be attributed to the accessibility of handguns during this time. Along with the increased use of handguns, the rising drug market with crack cocaine also contributed to the rise of youth violence. For More.

Violence linked to Community Cohesion

This New York Times article describes the largest study ever undertaken regarding the causes of crime and delinquency. The study found that decreased crime is due to trust, values, and cohesion in neighborhoods. Dr. Felton Earls states that the most important characteristic of collective efficacy is a "willingness by residents to intervene in the lives of children."... see more.

An Introduction to Collective Efficacy

Sampson, Raudenbush, and Earls discuss the importance of collective efficacy in reducing neighborhood violence, particularly in urban areas. They surveyed 343 neighborhoods in the Chicago area examining levels of informal social control and social cohesion along with violence levels in the neighborhoods. The results of the surveys showed that collective efficacy serves as a mediator between neighborhood economic and social problems and violence levels... for more information regarding this article.