Citation

Deller SC, Deller MA. Growth Change 2010; 41(2): 221-275.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1468-2257.2010.00526.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study explores rural U.S. crime patterns with a focus on social capital. We use a triangulation of three core theories of crime including social disorganization, anomie/strain, and rational choice theories to develop a formal theory and an empirical framework. The role of four unique measures of social capital is explored in understanding patterns of rural crime using nonmetropolitan U.S. county data. The empirical results generally support the theoretical predictions and conclude that rural communities that pursue economic growth and development must be prepared to address the resulting upward pressures on crime. The results on social capital and crime provide numerous policy insights for rural communities.