A socio-structural analysis of crime in the city of Tshwane, South Africa
High and rising levels of crime plague post-apartheid South Africa. A common explanation for these high crime rates relates the country's unique socio-political past to a system of ineffective social control mechanisms that suggest high levels of social disorganisation within certain communiti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Academy of Science of South Africa
2010-11-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Science |
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| Online Access: | http://192.168.0.118/index.php/sajs/article/view/9903 |
| _version_ | 1818611289079939072 |
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| author | Gregory Breetzke |
| author_facet | Gregory Breetzke |
| author_sort | Gregory Breetzke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | High and rising levels of crime plague post-apartheid South Africa. A common explanation for these high crime rates relates the country's unique socio-political past to a system of ineffective social control mechanisms that suggest high levels of social disorganisation within certain communities. Other explanations emphasise the presence of disaffected youths and deprivation, as well as the rapid immigration of people from neighbouring African countries into South Africa. I examined a number of these socio-structural explanations of crime on contact crime rates in the city of Tshwane, South Africa. The findings are largely consistent with the social disorganisation theory, as well as with what has previously been suggested in local literature. In order to supplement these preliminary findings, the effects of the same socio-structural explanations on contact crime rates were determined for predominantly Black, White, and 'Mixed' (containing a mix of both Black and White residents) suburbs using spatial regression models. Evidence from these analyses suggests that the effects of the various socio-structural explanations do not appear to traverse racial lines. Rather, the findings suggest non-uniformity in terms of the extent to which the various socio-structural factors impact contact crime rates based on race. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T15:27:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ccd997ca755414c827faac09593854b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-7489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T15:27:57Z |
| publishDate | 2010-11-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Science of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ccd997ca755414c827faac09593854b2022-12-21T22:26:27ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892010-11-0110611/12A socio-structural analysis of crime in the city of Tshwane, South AfricaGregory Breetzke0University of CanterburyHigh and rising levels of crime plague post-apartheid South Africa. A common explanation for these high crime rates relates the country's unique socio-political past to a system of ineffective social control mechanisms that suggest high levels of social disorganisation within certain communities. Other explanations emphasise the presence of disaffected youths and deprivation, as well as the rapid immigration of people from neighbouring African countries into South Africa. I examined a number of these socio-structural explanations of crime on contact crime rates in the city of Tshwane, South Africa. The findings are largely consistent with the social disorganisation theory, as well as with what has previously been suggested in local literature. In order to supplement these preliminary findings, the effects of the same socio-structural explanations on contact crime rates were determined for predominantly Black, White, and 'Mixed' (containing a mix of both Black and White residents) suburbs using spatial regression models. Evidence from these analyses suggests that the effects of the various socio-structural explanations do not appear to traverse racial lines. Rather, the findings suggest non-uniformity in terms of the extent to which the various socio-structural factors impact contact crime rates based on race.http://192.168.0.118/index.php/sajs/article/view/9903apartheidcontact crimedeprivationsocial disorganisationTshwane |
| spellingShingle | Gregory Breetzke A socio-structural analysis of crime in the city of Tshwane, South Africa South African Journal of Science apartheid contact crime deprivation social disorganisation Tshwane |
| title | A socio-structural analysis of crime in the city of Tshwane, South Africa |
| title_full | A socio-structural analysis of crime in the city of Tshwane, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | A socio-structural analysis of crime in the city of Tshwane, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | A socio-structural analysis of crime in the city of Tshwane, South Africa |
| title_short | A socio-structural analysis of crime in the city of Tshwane, South Africa |
| title_sort | socio structural analysis of crime in the city of tshwane south africa |
| topic | apartheid contact crime deprivation social disorganisation Tshwane |
| url | http://192.168.0.118/index.php/sajs/article/view/9903 |
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