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.