Kennedy BP, Kawachi I, Prothrow SD, Lochner K, Gupta V. Social capital, income inequality, and firearm violent crime. Social Science and Medicine 1998;  47(1):7-17.

An important study to follow onto the earlier paper below.  Violent crime is considered to be an individual problem in America, but the analysis presented here supports the population concept that it is the loss of social capital (as measured by trust in others) brought about by increased income inequality that may determine the level of violence in a society.   This analysis resurrects studies done over 56 years ago that presented similar findings and suggested that criminal behavior was transmitted across generations where society functioned less cohesively.  The paper's excellent discussion contrasts the effects of poverty, a measure of absolute deprivation seen best in small area studies, on violent crime with that of income inequality, a measure of relative deprivation or the relation to the larger society which in this study is measured at the state level.  The researchers suggest that the lack of social cohesion is an important factor in homicide and violent crime, while others consider it may work through hostility or tough subcultures.  These may all be related in the culture of inequality.  Violence is not just a problem of inner-city youth, but a society situation.   The appropriate response to reduce violent crime would include macro-economic policy changes, rather than just targeting high-risk individuals.

Abstract

Studies have shown that poverty and income are powerful predictors of homicide and violent crime. We hypothesized that the effect of the growing gap between the rich and poor is mediated through an undermining of social cohesion, or social capital, and that decreased social capital is in turn associated with increased firearm homicide and violent crime. Social capital was measured by the weighted responses to two items from the U.S. General Social Survey: the per capita density of membership in voluntary groups in each state; and the level of social trust, as gauged by the proportion of residents in each state who believed that "most people would take advantage of you if they got the chance". Age-standardized firearm homicide rates for the years 1987-1991 and firearm robbery and assault incidence rates for years 1991-1994 were obtained for each of the 50 U.S. states. Income inequality was strongly correlated with firearm violent crime (firearm homicide, r = 0.76) as well as the measures of social capital: per capita group membership (r = -0.40) and lack of social trust (r = 0.73). In turn, both social trust (firearm homicide, r = 0.83) and group membership (firearm homicide, r = -0.49) were associated with firearm violent crime. These relationships held when controlling for poverty and a proxy variable for access to firearms. The profound effects of income inequality and social capital, when controlling for other factors such as poverty and firearm availability, on firearm violent crime indicate that policies that address these broader, macro-social forces warrant serious consideration.

Keywords

homicide, firearm, poverty, violent crime, social capital, poverty, social cohesion, inequality