About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


35 American J. Crim. Just. 1 (2010)

handle is hein.journals/acnjrlocm35 and id is 1 raw text is: Am J Crim Just (2010) 35:1-14 DOI 10.1007/s12103-010-9070-6 Offender Presence, Available Victims, Social Disorganization and Sex Offense Rates Richard Tewksbury• Elizabeth Ehrhardt Mustaine • Michele Covington Published online: 25 February 2010 © Southern Criminal Justice Association 2010 Abstract The present study examines the utility of social disorganization theory for identifying community characteristics associated with varying rates of sex offenses both in general and against children. Measures of economic deprivation, community stability, cohesion, informal social control, presence of known offenders, and available opportunities are used in one urban county (Louisville, KY) to identify characteristics of census tracts with high rates of sex offenses. Results show that social disorganization theory is a moderately useful explanation for sexual offenses against adults, but not for sexual offenses against children. Keywords Social disorganization . Sex offenses . Victims . Child victims Understanding how, why, and where crimes occur is at the heart of the criminological enterprise. While numerous significant advances have been made over the history of the discipline, recent developments have seen research become both more general and more specific regarding types of criminal events, offenders, victims and locations. The history of the criminological endeavor is replete with both evolving theories, and the re-emergence of more classical theories. One theoretical perspective that has re-emerged in recent years is a focus on how community characteristics, resident characteristics, and degrees of social networks/ relationships among community residents may be influential in the occurrence of crime in the community. For some types of crimes we have a fairly well developed and consistent body of knowledge. However, for other types of crimes, our knowledge about if and how community characteristics may be influential is less developed. R. Tewksbury (E) Department of Justice Administration, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA e-mail: tewks@louisville.edu E. E. Mustaine - M. Covington Department of Sociology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA 4L Springer