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Collective efficacy

Definition

A concept developed by Robert Sampson referring to the combination of social cohesion among neighbours and their shared willingness to intervene in local problems. Areas high in collective efficacy sustain lower crime rates even when poverty is held constant.

Related terms

Broken windows theory
The proposition by Wilson and Kelling (1982) that visible signs of physical and social disorder invite further disorder and serious crime by...
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A family of theories holding that criminal law and its enforcement reflect the interests of powerful social groups rather than universal moral...
Feminist criminology
A body of theory and research that critiques the androcentric bias of mainstream criminology, making visible the gendered dimensions of both offending...
Left realism
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Social disorganisation
The condition of a neighbourhood in which social institutions have weakened to the point where they can no longer effectively regulate behaviour...

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