Social disorganization theory and the college campus periphery

Abstract

Objective: This study tests the idea that neighborhoods on the periphery of large U.S. university campuses are socially disorganized and thus higher in crime relative to those that do not border university campuses. Social disorganization theory predicts that crime in these neighborhoods is elevated due to their high rate of residential mobility, relatively low socioeconomic status, and high levels of ethnic heterogeneity. Methods: To test this hypothesis, data from the National Neighborhood Crime Study 2000 were analyzed. The data set contains a representative sample of U.S. neighborhoods with variables measured at the tract level. A series of t-tests note the difference in crime rate means for campus and non-campus areas, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses further test the hypothesis. Results: We find support for the main prediction using basic social disorganization models containing composite measures plus tract and city-level controls. Conclusion: The theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed along with the study's limitations and the potential for future research.