Date of Graduation

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Sociology (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Sociology and Criminology

Advisor/Mentor

Harris, Casey T.

Committee Member

Angton, Alexia

Second Committee Member

Niño, Michael D.

Keywords

Residential segregation; Arkansas; Crime; Race; Little Rock

Abstract

The Present study addresses the issue of residential segregation. Specifically, how the physical isolation of populations segregated based on both age and race affects violent crime. The sample includes all 155 Census block groups, which represent neighborhoods, in the city of Little Rock Arkansas. Data is accessed from the U.S. Census and the Little Rock Police Department. The current study asks: does the segregation of juveniles by age and race affect the distribution of crime? The theoretical frameworks guiding this research are social disorganization theory, structural-cultural theories of crime, the racialization of space perspective, and routine activities theory. The key findings are as follows. First, violence is moderate-to-high, but skewed to the high end of the distribution such that a few block groups have exceptionally high rates of crime. Second, Little Rock as a whole, also has a high degree of racial segregation. Third, regarding the control variables, the average Little Rock neighborhood contains considerable disadvantage. Fourth, the results of all three OLS models show that segregation strongly predicts increased violent crime rates. Finally, across all three models, disadvantage has a statistically significant positive association with crime.

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