İDEALKENT

Yazarlar: Ömer BİLEN, Ali Hakan BÜYÜKLÜ

Konular:-

DOI:10.31198/idealkent.416791

Anahtar Kelimeler:BrokWindows Theory,Path Analysis,Crime Prevention,Physical Environment,Social Environment

Özet: Some of the main urban security issues in Turkey, and in the world, are related to criminal incidences. There is a wide diversity of crime theories varying in their approaches and explanations, with respect to the disciplines they are developed in. Some of these theoretical models also have practical implications and, therefore, constitute the basis of political instruments for urban security. The “broken windows theory” is among such theoretical explanations of the geography of crimes since it is based on the observations pertaining to successful results in a security administration practice in New York. The broken window theory is significant because it draws on the spatial as well as social factors of crime and evaluates them in regard to measures of preventing crime. This paper aims to test whether the broken windows theory may be employed to explain the geography of crime in Istanbul. Further, it questions if it can be an appropriate theoretical basis of administrative measures in providing urban security. For this purpose, the concepts related to the theory are presented in a model diagram and tested with the path analysis technique. The data for testing the model was collected in a survey in the urban area of Istanbul, in 2011 1837 face-to-face interviews were conducted with the households in the selected probability sample for which the sampling error was calculated to be ±2,29%. The path analysis is especially convenient if the data collected in the field does not present a perfect compatibility with the model. In that case, it allows the researcher to define new relations among the variables and modify the model which may lead to an alternative theory. As a result of the path analysis, it is concluded that the broken windows model may be employed in Istanbul with some modifications of the relations defined in the original model.

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