Studies that examine the effects of welfare, specifically the program of Aid to Families of Dependent Children (AFDC), have primarily examined the relationship between public assistance spending and index, or part one, offenses. In general, the results of past studies have found a negative relationship between welfare and serious crime rates. To date, however, few studies have examined the effects of welfare on the more prevalent part two crimes. Given that previous examinations have found an inverse relationship between index crimes and welfare spending, changes in levels of spending could potentially affect both categories of crime in unwanted directions. As such, this study examined both part one and part two property crimes in relation to welfare spending from 1980 to 1990 in Kentucky counties. Significant positive findings were observed between AFDC spending and part two property crimes.
Bernard, T. J. (1987). Testing structural strain theories. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 24, 262-280.
2.
Bohrnstedt, G. W. (1969). Observations on the measurement of change. In E. F. Borgatta & G. W. Bohrnstedt (Eds.), Sociological methodology 1969 (pp. 113-133). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
3.
Bursik, R. J. (1988). Social disorganization and theories of crime delinquency: Problems and prospects. Criminology, 26, 513-551.
4.
Bursik, R. J., Jr., & Webb, J. (1982). Community change and patterns of delinquency. American Journal of Sociology, 88, 24-42.
5.
Chaiken, J. (2000). Crunching numbers: Crime and incarceration at the end of the millennium. In J. L. Victor & J. Naughton (Eds.), Annual editions: Criminal justice 01/02 (pp. 10-17). New York: McGraw-Hill.
6.
Chamlin, M.B. (1992). Intergroup threat and social control: Welfare expansion among states during the 1960s and 1970s. In A. E. Liska (Ed.), Social threat and social control (pp. 151-164). Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
7.
Chamlin, M. B., & Cochran, J. K. (1995). Assessing Messner and Rosenfeld’s institutional anomie theory: A partial test. Criminology, 33, 411-429.
8.
Cohen, L. E., & Land, K. C. (1987). Age structure and crime: Symmetry versus asymmetry and the projection of crime rates through the 1990s. American Sociological Review, 52, 170-183.
9.
Commonwealth of Kentucky. (1980). Crime in Kentucky 1980. Frankfort, KY: Kentucky State Police.
10.
Commonwealth of Kentucky. (1990). Crime in Kentucky 1990. Frankfort, KY: Kentucky State Police.
11.
Crutchfield, R.D. (1989). Labor stratification and violent crime. Social Forces, 68, 489-512.
12.
Cullen, F. T. (1983). Rethinking crime and deviance theory: The emergence of a structuring tradition. Totowa, NJ: Roman and Allanheld.
13.
Cullen, F. T. (1994). Social support as an organizing concept for criminology: Presidential address to the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Justice Quarterly, 11, 527-559.
14.
Currie, E. (1985). Confronting crime: An American challenge. New York: Pantheon.
15.
DeFronzo, J. (1983). Economic assistance to impoverished Americans. Criminology, 21, 119-136.
16.
DeFronzo, J. (1992). Economic frustration and sexual assault in large American cities. Psychological Reports, 70, 897-898.
17.
DeFronzo, J. (1996). Welfare and burglary. Crime & Delinquency, 42, 223-229.
18.
DeFronzo, J. (1997). Welfare and homicide. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 34, 395-406.
19.
DeFronzo, J., & Hannon, L. (1998). Welfare assistance and homicide rates. Homicide Studies, 2, 31-45.
20.
Devine, J. A., Sheley, J. F., & Smith, M. D. (1988). Macroeconomic and social control policy influences on crime rate changes, 1948-1985. American Sociological Review, 53, 407-420.
21.
Elliott, D., Wilson, W. J., Huizanga, D., Sampson, R., Elliott, A., & Rankin, B. (1996). The effects of neighborhood disadvantage on adolescent development. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 33, 389-426.
22.
Felson, M. (1994). Crime and everyday life: Insights and implications for society. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
23.
Fiala, R., & LaFree, G. (1988). Cross-national determinants of child homicide. American Sociological Review, 53, 432-445.
24.
Gilder, G. (1981). Wealth and poverty. New York: Basic Books.
25.
Grant, D. S., II, & Martinez, R., Jr. (1997). Crime and the restructuring of the U.S. economy: A reconsideration of the class linkages. Social Forces, 75, 769-799.
26.
Hannon, L. (1997). AFDC and homicide. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 24, 125-136.
27.
Hannon, L., & DeFronzo, J. (1998a). Welfare and property crime. Justice Quarterly, 15, 273-287.
28.
Hannon, L., & DeFronzo, J. (1998b). The truly disadvantaged, public assistance, and crime. Social Problems, 45, 383-392.
29.
Maume, M. O., & Lee, M. R. (2003). Social institutions and violence: A sub-national test of institutional anomie theory. Criminology, 41, 1137-1172.
30.
McGahey, R. M. (1986). Economic conditions, neighborhood organization, and urban crime. In A. J. Reiss & M. Tonry (Eds.), Communities and crime (pp. 231-270). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
31.
Merton, R. K. (1938). Social structure and anomie. American Sociological Review, 3, 672-682.
32.
Messner, S. F. (1986). Geographical mobility, governmental assistance to the poor, and rates of urban crime. Journal of Crime and Justice, 9, 1-18.
33.
Messner, S. F., & Rosenfeld, R. (1997). Crime and the American dream. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
34.
Moffitt, R. (1992). Incentive effects of the U.S. welfare system: A review. Journal of Economic Literature, 30, 1-61.
35.
Murray, C. (1984). Losing ground: American social policy, 1950-1980. New York: Basic Books.
36.
Patterson, J. T. (1981). Welfare State in America, 1930-1980. Durham, UK: British Association for American Studies.
37.
Piven, F. F., & Cloward, R. (1971). Regulating the poor: The functions of public welfare. New York: Pantheon.
38.
Piven, F. F., & Cloward, R. (1987). The historical sources of the contemporary relief debate. In R. F. Block, R. Cloward, B. Enrenreich, & F. F. Piven (Eds.), The mean season: The attack on the welfare state (pp. 3-43). New York: Pantheon.
39.
Reiss, A. J. (1986). Why are communities important in understanding crime? In A. J.Reiss & M. Tonry (Eds.), Communities and crime (pp. 1-33). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
40.
Ringel, C. (1996). Criminal victimization 1996 (Rep. No. NCJ165812). Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.
41.
Rosenfeld, R. (1986). Urban crime rates: Effects of inequality, welfare dependency, region, and race. In J. M. Bryne & R. J. Sampson (Eds.), The social ecology of crime (pp. 116-130). New York: Springer-Verlag.
42.
Sampson, R. J. (1987). Urban Black violence: The effect of male joblessness and family disruption. American Journal of Sociology, 93, 348-382.
43.
Sampson, R. J., & Groves, W. B. (1989). Community structure and crime testing social disorganization theory. American Journal of Sociology, 94, 774-802.
44.
Sampson, R. J., & Wilson, W. J. (1995). Toward a theory of race, crime, and urban inequality. In J. Hagan & R. Peterson (Eds.), Crime and inequality (pp. 37-54). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
45.
Sherman, L. (n.d.). Neighborhood safety. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
46.
Steffensmeier, D. J., & Harer, M. D. (1987). Is the crime rate really falling? An “aging” U.S. population and its impact on the nation’s crime. Journal of Research and Crime and Delinquency, 24, 23-48.
47.
Walker, S., Spohn, C., & Delone, M. (1996). The color of justice: Race, ethnicity, and crime in America. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
48.
Ways and Means Committee. (1996). Appendix L. Summary of welfare reforms made by Public Law 104-193, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act and associated legislation. Green Book. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
49.
Ways and Means Committee. (1998). Section 7. Aid to Families with Dependent Children and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Title IV-A). Green Book. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
50.
Wilson, J., & Kelling, G. (1982, March). Broken windows: Police and neighborhood safety. Atlantic Monthly, 249, 29-38.
51.
Wilson, W. J. (1987). The truly disadvantaged: he inner city, the underclass, and public policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
52.
Zhang, J. (1997). The effect of welfare programs on criminal behavior: A theoretical and empirical analysis. Economic Inquiry, 34, 120-137.
