Crime Prevention Flashcards
What are the two projects Newman was involved with in New York?
Van Dyke and Brownsville.
What was Newman interested in?
Interested in how the features of neighbourhoods (in particular housing design) have an influence on crime rates.
What was the research design and method for Newman’s experiment?
Quasi-experiment and an independent groups design.
What was involved in the Van Dyke project?
A series of high-rise flats.
What was involved in the Brownsville project?
A series of walk-up buildings, each built around courtyards.
Which of the two projects in Newman’s study had higher vandalism and crime rates?
Vandalism and crime rates were higher in Van Dyke than Brownsville.
What is the reason to do with surveillance and strangers in Brownsville which meant it had less crime rates?
Being built around courtyards, Brownsville gave greater opportunities for surveillance, and strangers were more likely to be recognised and challenged.
What is the reason to do with communal areas in Brownsville which meant it had less crime rates?
More care was shown for the communal areas in the Brownsville project, which suggests ownership and puts would-be vandals off.
What did Newman find in each project when played a recording of people having a heated argument in corridors?
In Van Dyke, people locked their doors and turned their TVs up to drown it out, whereas in Brownsville people came out of their flats to investigate what was going on.
What was Newman’s defensible space theory aiming for?
To reduce crime in low-cost housing.
What 4 things did Newman suggest in his defensible space theory?
That the community should have responsibility for communal areas, communal buildings should have a social area, interior space around the buildings should be visually accessible from the streets and projects should be kept small and large families limited.
What are the two types of disorder in the broken windows theory?
Physical disorder (e.g. vandalism) and social disorder (e.g. public drinking).
What does the broken windows theory suggest a disorder is a trigger for?
Fear in residents, as they see disorder as an indication that crime rates are on the rise, therefore they spend less time in public and in the community.
What does the broken windows theory suggest happens after people spend less time in public?
There is a higher chance for more crime as there are less people around to watch over the area.
What is a problem with the broken windows theory?
The link between increased community disorder and an increase in serious crime is unproven, and it is reductionist.
