Neighborhood disorder and generalized trust: A multilevel mediation examination of social mechanisms. (September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Intravia, Jonathan; Stewart, Eric A.; Warren, Patricia Y.; Wolff, Kevin T.
• Is Part Of: Journal of criminal justice. Volume 46(2016)
• Page Start: 148
• Page End: 158
• Publication Date: 2016-09
• Subjects: Trust -- Neighborhood disorder -- Fear -- Social control -- Neighborhood effects -- Mediation effects; Criminal justice, Administration of -- Periodicals; Justice pénale -- Administration -- Périodiques; 364.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2016.05.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0047-2352

Abstract

Abstract: Purpose: Prior research suggests that neighborhood context has an important role in shaping individuals' generalized trust, which is an important ingredient in establishing social capital and collective efficacy. Because most of the empirical research focuses on the direct effects of neighborhood conditions such as disadvantage and disorder, there is a rather limited understanding of how social mechanisms affect individual levels of trust. As a result, it remains unclear whether several theoretically relevant social processes mediate the effect of neighborhood disorder. Methods: Using data from the Project of Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods—Community Survey (PHDCN-CS), multilevel mediation modeling is used to investigate whether social mechanisms, specifically fear and negative police efficacy, mediate the relationship between neighborhood disorder and individual-level generalized trust. Results: Our results show that neighborhood disorder reduces generalized trust and that fear and negative perceptions of police efficacy mediate the effects of neighborhood disorder. Conclusions: Social mechanisms, specifically fear and negative police efficacy, are salient processes in the neighborhood disorder and generalized trust relationship. Theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed. Highlights: We examine the social processes linking neighborhood disorder to reductions in generalized trust. Neighborhood disorder significantly reduces generalized trust at the individual-level. Fear and negative police efficacy mediate the relationship between neighborhood disorder and generalized trust.