Suchergebnisse

Although social disorganization theory provides a framework for understanding how changes in neighborhoods can influence crime rates over time, research on neighborhood characteristics and crime has relied primarily on cross-sectional data. Using a latent growth curve model and longitudinal data on residential burglary and vehicle theft in Indianapolis, measured annually between 1992 and 2006 at the census block group level, the authors analyzed the relationships between neighborhood characteristics and crime trends. For both residential burglary and vehicle theft, baseline models revealed that changes in crime rates were best captured by a quadratic function with an initial linear decrease and subsequent deceleration (slowing) of the decrease. When neighborhood characteristics were included as predictors, change in neighborhood disadvantage was significantly related to changes in both residential burglary and vehicle theft over time, while change in residential stability did not have a significant effect on changes in residential burglary or vehicle theft.

Researchers have argued for longitudinal studies that focus more attention on how religious attitudes and behaviors change during adolescence and, especially, as adolescents make the transition to young adulthood. Therefore, the authors use growth curve modeling to examine the infuence of parents and peers on adolescent religious service attendance and belief in the importance of religion using five waves (eight years) of the National Youth Survey (1979–1987). The results suggest adolescents who live with both of their biological parents have higher initial levels of religious service attendance, but their religious service attendance decreases more rapidly over time. The pattern of results for peer attachment is similar. Compared to adolescents with low peer attachment, adolescents with high peer attachment are more likely to attend religious services initially and to believe that religion is important, but their religious service attendance and belief in the importance of religion decreases more rapidly over time.