Broken Windows Theory Analysis

Although St Jean theories have merit and correlate with Conklin’s theories they both have several weaknesses. First, the study focuses on the relationship between Broken Windows, collective efficacy, and criminal behavior. It does not address the effect of the perception of certain social behaviors and collective efficacy on crime. Some of the other main critiques are that because St.Jean uses such a small sample size further study is needed. Also, Conklin’s theoretical explanations do not directly match and relate to St. Jean. They both follow the idea of social cohesion and how one lifestyle or community make an individual more less likely to commit a crime. Lifestyle and routine activity theories both view victimization through the eyes …show more content…
Broken Windows theory, for example, focuses on the problems associated with the societal disorder and neighborhood decay and how that can increase the likelihood of crimes. However, Conklin’s two theories do not completely correlate with Broken window theory in the sense that they simply explain the individual motivation for committing a crime instead of the surrounding environment. They don't directly explain how lack of collectiveness or poor neighborhoods conditions can cause an individual to commit more crime. Rather they relate in that the explain the details about how and why someone might commit or be victimized by crime. But both authors theories do not explain other social or economic factors that could cause someone to commit crime rather they look at motivating factors that increase the likely hood of crime rather than root causes that contribute to an individual’s delinquent behavior in the first place like poverty or inequality. Another weakness is that much of the argument of both authors implies that social trust and solidarity can decrease crime. However, in some community’s social cohesion between people can increase the likely hood of