Urbanism and Crime: A Cross-National/ Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

Louis Wirth hypothesized that population size, density, and social heterogeneity are the principal attributes defining a city and that these attributes are conducive to a specific behavioral pattern and moral attitude. An increase in the intensity of the attributes is postulated to lead to the accentuation of behaviors associated with urbanism. Crime is one of the behaviors associated with urbanism. This article explores the relationship between crime and urbanism attributes, using data from three countries and simple correlation and regression analysis. The research indicates that there are similarities as well as differences in trends in the three countries. The study did not accept the generalization of Wirth's hypothesis across the countries studied for criminal behavior. The study con cludes on the need to carry out more cross-cultural studies to identify the relationship between the defining characteristics of urban areas and urban crime patterns.