Citation

Neapolitan JL. J. Crim. Justice 1999; 27(3): 259-274.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0047-2352(98)00064-6

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The great majority of cross-national crime research has used quantitative analysis of large-n samples or qualitative case studies of one or two nations. Data quality problems make the results of the large-n studies problematic, while lack of generality limits the usefulness of case studies. This study included enough nations to allow results that have some generality of findings and yet few enough nations to allow for better data verification and greater in-depth analysis. Six low violent crime (LVC) nations were compared and contrasted with six high violent crime (HVC) nations. Analysis resulted in five categories of factors that effectively distinguish LVC from HVC nations: social integration versus disorganization, economic stress versus support, care versus abuse of children, official/approved violence, and the degrees of corruption and efficiency of the criminal justice system. Using structural and cultural contexts relevant to violent crime, these factors were integrated into a model of cross-national violent crime variation.