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Can the can: The "broken windows" theory of crime is correct
The Economist ^ | Nov 20th 2008

Posted on 11/23/2008 4:29:39 PM PST by Ozob

A place that is covered in graffiti and festooned with rubbish makes people feel uneasy. And with good reason, according to a group of researchers in the Netherlands. Kees Keizer and his colleagues at the University of Groningen deliberately created such settings as a part of a series of experiments designed to discover if signs of vandalism, litter and low-level lawbreaking could change the way people behave. They found that they could, by a lot: doubling the number who are prepared to litter and steal.

(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: crime; psychology; window

1 posted on 11/23/2008 4:29:39 PM PST by Ozob
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To: Ozob

So permissiveness and bad environments fosters criminal growth. Amazing.


2 posted on 11/23/2008 4:39:49 PM PST by Bogey78O (Don't call them jihadis. Call them irhabis. Tick them off, don't entertain their delusion.)
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To: Bogey78O
So permissiveness and bad environments ...which fosters the erosion of self-disicipline and the growth of self-centeredness, which, in turn... fosters criminal growth. Amazing.
3 posted on 11/23/2008 4:43:24 PM PST by yankeedame ("Oh, I can take it but I'd much rather dish it out.")
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To: Bogey78O

Charge and convict every last one of the gay marriage brown-shirts that terrorize and victimize others. Don’t let them think they can get away with it, or we’ll have more of the same.


4 posted on 11/23/2008 4:43:41 PM PST by Tax Government
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To: Ozob

The broken window theory has always made sense to me. The more run down something gets the more you feel that it harbors elements you don’t want to be around. UN PC but true.


5 posted on 11/23/2008 4:47:06 PM PST by brytlea (You can fool enough of the people enough of the time.)
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To: Ozob

Captain Obvious strikes again.


6 posted on 11/23/2008 4:49:30 PM PST by widowithfoursons
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To: Ozob

Nothing better proves this than sanctuary cities that tolerate illegal immigrants. First a few, then a lot more, because they know it’s acceptable. And all the crime they bring with them gets amplified - DUI, driving without a license, petty crime, etc.


7 posted on 11/23/2008 4:50:03 PM PST by oldbill
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To: Ozob
A PLACE that is covered in graffiti and festooned with rubbish makes people feel uneasy.

Wrong. It makes decent people feel uneasy. Graffiti and filth make bad people feel more comfortable. If you want to move lowlife criminals out of an area quickly, have a children's fair - parents, kids, pets - scum will run like the wind...

8 posted on 11/23/2008 4:53:36 PM PST by GOPJ (Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2 Republicans: 2.1 -Olson)
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To: Ozob

It surprises me that the ponces at the Economist would run this story.


9 posted on 11/23/2008 5:13:58 PM PST by TheWasteLand
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To: TheWasteLand

Katie will skip over this story.


10 posted on 11/23/2008 5:33:17 PM PST by mw19
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To: Ozob

Don’t be silly, it’s a well known fact that arresting more criminals, punishing them harder, building more prisons, hiring more police, targeting small scale offenders as well as the big ones, using statistics to investigate where crimes are happening and then sending more police there have no effect whatsoever in the reduction of crime, none.

It’s abortion that brings down crime you see, I know I read it in a book.


11 posted on 11/23/2008 5:33:55 PM PST by PotatoHeadMick
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To: GOPJ

Excellant point.


12 posted on 11/23/2008 6:31:18 PM PST by Balding_Eagle (If America falls, darkness will cover the face of the earth for a thousand years.)
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To: brytlea

Actually a good book to read about the broken window effect is called “The tipping Point” by Malcom Gladwell. Though he is a Staff Writer for the New Yorker he is not biased. His writing is logical and well researched. Good business reading based on caused and effect.

Don’t mean to advertise his book but ever sense I have turned off the TV, I have been reading books to help me improve my understanding of stuff.


13 posted on 11/23/2008 6:49:23 PM PST by Psycho_Runner (Every Day is Christmas)
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To: Psycho_Runner

I need to read more books. I used to, I’ve gotten lazy! Thanks, I’ll see if I can find it!


14 posted on 11/23/2008 7:53:07 PM PST by brytlea (You can fool enough of the people enough of the time.)
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