The Origin of the Violent Neighborhood: A Study of Crime Type Differentiation Across Chicago Neighborhoods.

There is an extensive literature on crime rates at the neighborhood level, but little of it directly bears on the extent to which some neighborhoods favor particular crime types over others. Although social disorganization theory asserts that certain socio-structural conditions will result in generalized high crime rates, other macro-level theories (e.g., differential opportunity and subculture of violence views) arguably predict differential crime profiles across neighborhoods, specifically with regard to the relative "portion" of the crime rate occupied by violence. Drawing on various data sources, this inquiry determines whether Chicago neighborhoods show significantly different crime profiles-that is, whether there are "violent neighborhoods." It also investigates whether the structural and cultural factors implicated in the social disorganization, differential opportunity and subculture of violence perspectives distinguish these neighborhoods or only predict the incidence of crime. The results reveal significant differences in the distribution of crimes that comprise neighborhood crime rates, as well as demonstrate that certain factors do identify neighborhoods that favor violence over other crimes. The discussion considers the theoretical and empirical implications of these findings. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]