Crime in America's metropolitan areas: Relationships between racial housing segregation and juvenile arrest rates
Description
In this study, I examine various relationships between racial housing segregation and juvenile arrest rates in 86 of America's largest metropolitan areas. While there is a growing literature documenting the relationship between segregation and race-specific arrest rates, the relationship between residential segregation and age-specific involvement in arrest statistics remains largely unexplored. A focus on youth is salient for three reasons: (1) contemporary youth are involved in crime at rates higher than previous birth cohorts; (2) juvenile arrest rates may have substantively different effects on community dynamics than adult rates; and, (3) young people are less likely than their older counterparts to have the material resources necessary to move away from dangerous neighborhoods. The implication is that youth should be affected more adversely by segregation and crime than older Americans. Arguing primarily from a Social Disorganization theoretical perspective, I depart from previous tests by comparing several indices that measure specific dimensions of residential segregation that are not captured by % black a commonly used proxy. Also included in the analysis are control variables common to both crime and migration literature. The study shows some support for effects by various measures of residential segregation on age-specific arrest rates of juveniles when other variables are held constant. However, the effects are offense- and race-specific. Support is shown for a relationship between evenness and juvenile arrest rates for burglary and robbery. However, none of the segregation measures used seem correlated with homicide arrest rates of juveniles. Implications of these findings are discussed