Crime Environment

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that crime and the physical environment, as criminologists and researchers state, are two closely related concepts. The writer then notes that the exact nature of the relationship between crime and the environment has, however, come under much debate. The writer discusses that, though studies reveal a multitude of conflicting findings, it appears that the correlation between crime and the environment is determined by interactive and complex factors, involving much variation at the level of spatial and temporal determination. The writer maintains that crime and environment are interwoven in a complex tapestry of factors interpreted by the criminal, such as nodes, paths, edges, and the environmental backcloth of the situation - of which the criminal himself is an integral part.

Outline:
Introduction
Crime & The Environment
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The researchers believe that crime should be investigated as a broad range of behaviour which comes from individual incentives. The environment works primarily in that it makes the offender feel comfortable about committing the crime. An individual may feel that an environment is suitable for crime based on physical factors such as the type of neighbourhood, the crime site's exact location, the crime's surrounding street layout and other factors that are social, psychological and physical. These latter factors include the location's sense of territoriality, the socioeconomic status of the criminal and crime area inhabitants, the readiness of the criminal, triggers, the criminal's routine behaviour and familiarity with a crime area, awareness and activity space, opportunity, layout of the city and streets, potential suitable targets, surveillability of the crime area, the building construction within crime areas and edges and nodes defining the crime area."
"People have been long aware of the effect the environment has upon criminal behaviour. In fact, historically crime was viewed as very environment-based and solutions to crime were based on environmental changes."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cartwright, Barry. (2006). Introduction to Criminology. Criminology 101-3 - Study Guide. Canada: Simon Fraser University.
• Brantingham, Patricia & Brantingham, Paul. (1993). Nodes, Paths and Edges: Considerations on the Complexity of Crime and the Physical Environment.. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 13, 3-28.
• Sacco, V.G. & Kennedy, L.W. (2002). The Criminal Event: An Introduction to Criminology in Canada (3rd ed.). Toronto: Thomas Nelson.

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