1. Poverty and Crime
A Theory Under Fire
By Ebony S Helm

2. Social Disorganization Theory
 Growing from research conducted by Shaw and McKay
it the theory attempts to define contributing factors for
crime
 Crimes most likely to occur in communities with weak
social tries and absence of social control
 Neighborhoods that are disadvantage are likely to have
higher crime rates
 Poverty, ethnic diversity, and family disruption in given
localities had a strong positive correlation with social
disorganization.

3. Strain Theory
 Certain stressors increase the likelihood of crime
 Stressors lead to negative emotions which lead to
pressure and crime
 Stressors such as unemployment, loss of valued
possessions, community status and societal difference
 For example, losing ones job and constant
unemployment may cause a person to turn to crime

4. Crime Rates Fall
 “The recession of 2008-09 has undercut one of the
most destructive social theories that came out of the
1960s(online.wsj.com).”
 With the lost of jobs increasing to the highest in several
years the crime rate dropped to the lowest since the
1960’s
 In the 1960’s with a large number of governmental jobs
the available and the economic success the homicide
rate increased 43 percent

5. Crime Rates Continue to Fall
 Crime continued to decline the last to decades even
with the economic collapse of 2008
 Violent crime plummeted 67 percent over 2008 in
Minneapolis, 47 percent in Seattle, 39 percent in
Charlotte, 31 percent in New York, and 17 percent in
Los Angeles
 The declines took place in black communities which
suffered from high unemployment rates and stagnating
wages

6. The Obama Effect
 Although, not quantifiable the election first black
president appears to may have some effect on the
crime rates in black communities
 Collectively changing the thoughts and inspiring
potential criminals and one time criminals the election
of the first black president provides hope for a brighter
future even in high poverty areas
 Providing blacks and other minorities with trust in the
political process and positive feelings about change
deterring them from criminal activity

7. Conclusion
 Poverty and crime may have a correlation but poverty
does not always determine how the crime rate will
continue

8. Reference
 www.slate.com
 www.politic365.com
 www. cnx.org