First academic field that brings insight for the present research is criminology, a division of sociology. It is the case for the “broken windows” model of policing first described in 1982 in an article by social scientists Wilson and Kelling. Supporters of “broken windows policing” argue that neighborhoods that fail to fix disorder (e.g., broken windows) or address other manifestations of disorder display a lack of informal social control, attitude that invites serious criminals into the neighborhood (Wilson & Kelling, 1982; Kelling & Coles, 1997). Disorder is not directly linked to criminality, but disorder allows fear among the residents, withdrawal, low informal social control and all of these leave place for delinquents to gain the neighborhood.
