Social Disorganization Theory: Prevalence of Crime in Urban Areas

1. Introduction 

When it comes to the social disorganization theory, it focuses more about the influence of the society and the environment to the increase in the criminal activity. In that case, an individuals' neighborhood is a prime factor towards shaping that person to get involved in illegal activities (Borski & Harold, 1995) . The immediate environment may but pose an immediate danger it may come out later in life even if the individual might have moved from the place. For people to develop as good citizens, the society needs to uphold certain moral standards. These ethical standards emanate from saying the church rules that are in place, the ethics standards, and need to maintain public order (Borski & Harold, 1995) . 

If the society fails to uphold such principles, then individual are going to grow up being exposed to various criminal activity. For them such activity will be part of their daily lives, or they may not be feeling any guilty by breaking such social orders even when they move to different environments (Korn & Ruth, 1978) . One can say a society full of moral and ethical delinquency will raise individuals having more thirst to commit criminal activities compared with the other one. Turning onto the structure of the urban place setting one can say it is survival of the fittest. Individuals are competing for everything and how one achieves his end goals it does not matter in other words the end justifies the means ( Robert & Lydia, 2006) . Faced with such a reality, the study seeks to know the prevalence of crime within the urban areas as compared to the rural areas. 

II. Body 

Background Information 

Various studies have been done by individual and organization to ascertain to the factor of their being the prevalence of crime in certain areas compared to other that is more dependent n the environmental factors. One such study was done by Adolph Quitlet (1984) who was able to reveal that certain areas experience high crime rates regardless of the nationality and the racial composition of the residents. His book his based on the study that he did by visiting different places and neighborhoods before coming up with his data. He clearly analyzed and come with inferences showing that there is some res where crime is likely to occur regardless of the of the factors mentioned above that have more often used traditionally to explain the variations in crime rates (Korn & Ruth, 1978). 

Excluding the above traditional factors than one can argue that certain regions may be prone to crime just by the mere factor of their geographical location. And it has nothing to with the residents there. At the same time, people may be pushed to commit crime out of selfish desires within themselves. With that in mind then it means some people can commit the crime without the environmental factors having to play a role about that (Korn & Ruth, 1978) . In that way, this individual may be committing the crime as a result of his upbringing or the way he viewed live thereby having him/her to have different moral judgments to various aspects of life. 

Turning on to the scholars of the Cartographic school they did research on the prevalence of the offense at a personal life and as influenced by the group. On a personal level, there are some criminal activities that are more inherent and dependent on the environment one was brought up in. For example, an individual drinking habit may remain the same where it can come out as an inherited for. Another example is the gender-based crimes that are committed based more on the upbringing. In an urban setting where somebody grows up experiencing or hearing stories of Gang rape may make one hardened to such forms of crime. In this case hardened implies to how natural such a person is likely to commit the crime compared to somebody from a different environment (Sutherland, 1947. 

Now the group influence is more relate to immediate outcomes that can be easily traced and know the origin. It more often leads to situations of organized crime where the gangs or criminals tend to have some sort of organization with particular set codes and rules. For his, they do it with a specific intention such as the intent of getting money. Such instances occur where individual organize themselves with say intentions of collecting money from shop owners what they call protection fees ( Bursik, 1988) . Other can do crimes emanating from group influences s a result of wanting to associate them with particular social status an aspect of the environment there in. For instance, most youths in the urban may be influenced to take drugs since they may feel that to be the most appropriate fashion of the day (Sutherland, 1947) . Ideally, a group influenced crimes are at times easy to be identified than the personal crimes that depend on one's inner intent that may not be obviously exposed. 

Then there is the aspect of the Zones of competition which is aimed at explaining the distribution of social groups in urban areas. The model comes up with concentric rings where the central business unit is normally in the middle, and it expanded in rings on different land uses. As mentioned the center is the central business district where there is the concentration of activities likewise the value of land there. In other words, the model depicts a situation where the more the activity, the higher also the prevalence of the property rate at that place (Sutherland, 1947) . In essence, that is majorly brought up by the competition that existing that place. The more the competition than the desperate survival means is going to be used so as to achieve the end goals. 

Then there is the transition zone which is consisted of the mixed residential as well as commercial purposes thereby acting as a zone of transitions. The working class zone represents the residential homes. In is a representation of the inner suburbs that are contained in any urban environment. It is at times called the inner city or what came to be called the working men’s home ( Geraldo 1968). There is the better quality or the middle-class homes. The above represent the outer suburbs that are mostly characterized by better living conditions. With better living conditions then one expects the environment to be better for one, upbringing. At times the zones of competition are determined by the amount people are likely to pay for the land. Looking at the for any city the CBD has got highest property rates, and by use of that model still one ill come up with the zones identified above ( Geraldo 1968). 

Study and Analysis 

The above zones of competition have provided us with the picture on how towns can be categorized. On that note, it is clear as the town develops also does the criminal activities. If a study is made that related the development of a city with the criminal activities, then there is the possibility of coming with the model such as the one below ( Geraldo 1968). Most sophisticated criminal activities are likely to occur within the central district units. The trend of such criminal activities will have an ascending order. As one move from the work man' village to the Central business unit, there will be a gradual increase. However the ascending is not regarding activity rather the advancement of such activities as the town develops (Shaw & McKay, 1969) . The inner suburbs will be based on all sorts of crimes though most of them will be petty such criminals will be honing their skills. 

When one makes a comparison of the crime in the main cities and the rural areas statistics show that there are higher crime rates in the main cities compared to the rural area. For instance, one n use the Violent Victimization Rates Repotted by Victims to the NCVS by Geographical area in 2012 shows that urban areas reported 3240 cases, suburban areas 2380, while rural area managed to record 2090 cases. Based on that category of crime alone it is evident that the rural areas managed to record the least cases compared to the urban areas. Such trends may be attributed to the moral and ethical life that is experienced in the rural areas compared to urban ones. At the same time, there is the aspect of competition that is less stiff within the rural areas (Shaw & McKay, 1969) . 

It is vital to carry out an analysis of what role does the community play concerning either having n increase or a decrease in the crime rates. Community, in this case, can be taken regarding the race where say a population of blacks can be analyzed (Byron 1989). Then a community can also be categorized in term of economic status. On that, a suburb community can be analyzed versus an economically endowed community. Also, there is the aspect of morality within a community. In general, there some areas such as the rural ones where there is no much urban influence. Such can offer another glimpse of the role the community platys. From the above results, it will reflect that the way a society handles is much depicted with the crime rates in that particular region (Shaw & McKay, 1931). 

Various interventions can be used to reduce the prevalence of crimes rates within any community. On the inset, ensure that there are some levels of equality within that community. By so doing one will be able to avoid instances that result in competition zones an aspect that is seen to contribute much more to criminal activities. The society ought to be built on high moral and ethical foundations. It is evident tat the rural communities where scoring well on that. With that in mind then the religious readers and other relevant institution sought to take lead roles in teaching the residents of the same. At times deterrence also offers better ways of ensuring there is a low prevalence of crime rates in the society. Deterrence calls for good policing and law enforcement officers so as not make others fears committing the same. Then there should be proper rehabilitation and collection of the offenders of any crimes as there cannot be a perfect society (Valier, 2002). 

III. Conclusion 

In conclusion, social disorganization is more focused on the notion that individuals will commit crimes since the community itself has failed to stop them from doing so. In other words, the environment allows for the offense to thrive. However, not all the cases those crimes are caused by social disorganization. There are instances when crimes can be committed as a result of one's personal; view even when the community prohibits such crimes to be committed. That calls for a different approach to tackle, and it can be an issue one develops as a result of his selfish interest. Based on that, there are versed factors that cause crime through social disorganization happens to be one of them. Despite that, there is also different ways that crimes can be prevented within any one given community. 

References 

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Suttles, Geraldo. (1968). The Social Order of the Slum . Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. 

https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/abstractdb/AbstractDBDetails.aspx?id=147184 

Quetelet, A. (1984). AdolpheQuetelet's Research on the Propensity for Crime at Different Ages . Cincinnati, Ohio: Anderson Pub. Co. 

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Shaw, C. R., & McKay, H. D. (1969). Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas: A Study of Rates of Delinquency about Differential Characteristics of Local Communities in American Cities . Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 

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Valier, C (2002). Theories of Crime and Punishment . New York: Longman. 

https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Theories_of_Crime_and_Punishment.html?id=YnR6ImFcOyoC