Work

Trends in Inequality and Violent Crime: A Comparative Analysis of Majority and Minority Communities

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The relationship between economic inequality and crime has developed considerably in criminological literature since its early stages. Initially, this perspective linked inequality, shifts in wealth distribution and concentration, competition for resources, and the economic deprivations that accompany these changes, to increased criminal behavior. The literature is diverse, exploring various mechanisms through which economic inequality may be connected to crime. Durkheim, for example, argued that social changes—such as urbanization, industrialization, and a sharp increase in inequality—could undermine social cohesion and community solidarity, leading to alienation and a lack of value clarity (normlessness & anomie), which, in turn, could foster criminal behavior. The Chicago school followed this theoretical path, describing the development of crime in transitional communities and emphasizing the rise of social disorganization and deviant behavior (Shaw and McKay 1942 ; Sampson and Groves 1989 ). Additionally, Strain and Relative Deprivation theories (Agnew 2020 ; Runciman 1966 ) have explored how rising inequality can create feelings of deprivation and frustration with one’s perceived and expected social status, as well as with access to desirable resources, prompting a desire to alter the status quo, sometimes through criminal activity (Hipp 2007 ). Other theories focus on the opportunity structure that rapid inequality creates for criminal activity, suggesting that periods of rapid economic growth are often accompanied by an increase in new opportunities for crime (Cohen and Felson 2010 ).

Source: Journal of Quantitative Criminology

DOI: 10.1007/s10940-025-09631-9

Authors: Badi Hasisi, Eran Itskovich

Institutions: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of Cambridge

Language: English

Topic: Crime Patterns and Interventions

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,090