Broken Windows, Informal Social Control, and Crime: Assessing Causality in Empirical Studies

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Sociology
• Urban Studies

Background:

• The relationship between neighborhood disorder, informal social control, and crime is a central debate in criminology.
• The 'broken windows' thesis suggests disorder directly and indirectly increases crime by weakening social control.
• Collective efficacy theories propose the disorder-crime link is spurious, confounded by informal social control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review empirical research examining the causal links between neighborhood disorder, informal social control, and crime.
• To evaluate the causal claims using a potential outcomes framework.
• To assess the consensus and strength of causal evidence in existing literature.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent empirical research employing diverse methodologies.
• Inclusion of studies using field experiments and various observational data models.
• Application of a potential outcomes framework to assess causality.

Main Results:

• Evidence supporting both the 'broken windows' thesis and informal social control theories was found.
• Significant heterogeneity in research methods and models was observed.
• A lack of strong causal evidence was identified across most studies.

Conclusions:

• There is limited consensus in the current research literature regarding the causal relationships.
• Existing studies often fail to establish causality in a robust manner.
• Further research is needed to clarify the complex interplay between disorder, social control, and crime.