Chapter 11

Chapter 12Individual, Family, and Household Crime Control

Individuals engage in many crime control activities, includingPurchasing (and possibly using) guns for self-defenseRisk-avoidance behaviorRisk-managementIndividual Crime Control

No main registry of guns in private handsHow do we know how many guns are in circulation?SurveysGeneral Social SurveyCant be used to arrive at local-level estimatesOther measuresSuicides committed with a gun (apparently the most reliable)Homicides committed with a gunNRA membershipSubscriptions to gun-oriented magazinesMeasuring Gun Prevalence

Surveys have shown between 500,000 and 3.6 million instances of gun use in self-defenseNCVS has shown between 32,000 and 108,000 uses per yearWhich sources should be believed?NCVS, becauseIts more conservativeMore consistent with findings from other studiesNCVS limitations includeRespondents must first indicate a victimizationPrevented crimes not countedMay be a desire to conceal gun use from surveyors How Often Are Guns Used in Self-Defense?

Most has looked at the relationship between levels of gun ownership and burglary at the state and local levelFindings?Lott found that increased gun ownership was associated with less burglaryDuggan found more burglaries where there were more gunsConsider hot vs. cold burglariesCold burglaries are the normAggregate Research

Researchers have also looked at whether armed resistance leads to a reduction in the likelihood that a crime will be completedWhat does the research show?Armed resistance to robbery appears effective, more so than unarmed resistanceArmed Resistance and Crime Completion

Researchers have also looked at victim injury when they resist victimization by using a gun in self-defenseWhat does the research show?Some studies show gun use results in less victim injuryAnother study shows higher rates of victim injury when guns are usedArmed Resistance and Victim Injury

Some researchers have surveyed convicted burglarsThey have foundBurglars steer clear from hot burglaries for fear of getting shotBurglars are also attracted to guns because a gun is money with a triggerDo Criminals Care?

Another topic of interest to researchers has been whether people act differently when they are armedThe concern is that people may act in ways that increase their likelihood of victimizationWhat is the precedent for this research?Improvements in automobile designs have led to riskier drivingChild-resistant packaging for drugs has led to careless storage of such drugsStudy: 1/3 of all gun defenders had the option of not confronting the suspectCompensating Risks and Offsetting Behavior

Any merits associated with self-defense with a gun need to be balanced against costs to society resulting from accidental deathsWhat does the research show?One study showed states with the highest gun ownership rates had 9 times the rate of unintentional firearm deathsPush for safe-storage laws, which appear effective based on one studyGuns and Accidental Deaths

In 1982, the city of Kennesaw, GA passed an ordinance requiring every household to keep a gunDid it reduce burglary?Researchers have not been able to tell because levels of gun ownership in the city did not change markedly after the ordinance went into effectA Gun in Every Home?

Risk-avoidance consists of activities people engage in to minimize their chances of being victimizedExamples of risk-avoidance includeAvoiding certain areasStaying inside at nightDriving instead of walkingParking in certain locationsDoes it work?And you cant study what doesnt happen!Risk-Avoidance Behaviors

Risk-management behaviors include actions people take when they know that cant fully avoid the potential for victimizationExamples includeSelf-defense trainingResistanceRisk-Management Behaviors

Does self-defense training work?Research showsWomen who enroll in self-defense courses feel more in control and are less fearful of crimeWomen who enroll in self-defense courses alter their behaviorEffects of such training on victimization have yet to be exploredSelf-Defense Training

Here we are concerned with forceful resistance without a gunTwo forms of forceful resistanceForceful physical resistanceForceful verbal resistanceWhat does the research show?Forceful physical resistance can reduce the likelihood of crime completion, but can increase victim injury, especially in rapesForceful verbal resistance appears more effectiveForceful Resistance

Nonforceful resistance also comes in two formsEfforts to push offender awayPleading with offender to stop and/or reasoning with the offenderWhat does the research show?First method more effective than the secondThere is no clear consensus in the literatureNonforceful Resistance

Crime control in households/families is common, but it is difficult to evaluateWhat happens in childhood may not have consequences until much later in lifeConfounding by contextual factors (e.g., neighborhood)Families tend to be shut off from researchersHousehold and Family Crime Control

How do families influence delinquency/youth victimization?Transgenerational delinquencyChildren born to teenage mothers are at a higher risk of delinquency (especially when biological father is absent)Parental substance abusePoor supervisionInappropriate disciplineParental rejection of childrenAbuse and neglectParental conflictHow Families Influence Delinquency and Youth Victimization

Other ways families influence youth delinquencyLength of residenceChildren born to large families are at a high risk of delinquencyCrowdingCant adequately superviseBirth orderWhat can be made of all this?Certain factors cant be changed (e.g., family size)Other factors can be changedParenting skillsAbusive behaviorSubstance abuse(Continued)

There are good parents and bad parentsGovernment/other agencies have begun to target ineffective parenting in a number of waysStrengthening Families ProgramHome visits by trained professionals, usually during the prenatal periodParent training in conjunction with day care and/or preschool programsParent training/education in a clinical settingSchool-based parent trainingCommunity-based parent trainingHome visits appear most effectiveParent Training and Education

Divorce/broken homes are associated with youth delinquencySteps have been taken to keep families intactFamily preservation therapy starts whenDivorce/separation are imminentChild starts to act inappropriatelyDoes it work?Not clearFamily Preservation Therapy

What is multisystemic therapy?Community- and family-based treatment method that targets sources of antisocial behavior in delinquent juvenilesUsually occurs after signs of delinquency present themselvesOccurs in a family contextDoes it work?The research is very encouragingMultisystemic Therapy

Researchers have looked at whether increases in welfare payments are associated with reductions in crimeWhat does the research show?Many studies show an inverse relationship between welfare spending and crimeThe jury is still out!Financial Assistance to Families

Individual, Family, and Household Crime PreventionConclusion