Guardians of the Suburbs

• In Event: Guardianship and Crime

Abstract

Within the routine activity framework, guardians are purported to be defenders against crime. However, very little is known about what motivates residents to monitor their streets and intervene in suspicious or criminal events to prevent property crime. This study builds upon Reynald’s (2010) study with Dutch residents to examine the reasons why Brisbane residents engage or fail to engage in this type of behaviour. The current study utilises data from 20 interviews with Brisbane residents to develop our understanding of this decision making process. Importantly, these interviews show that guardians are a heterogeneous population, which can be split into a number of different typologies. Overall this study shows that opportunity is more important than motivations in guardianship behaviours and that daily routines around the home facilitate supervision.

Authors

• Emily Moir, Griffith University

• Anna Stewart, Griffith University

• Danielle Reynald, Griffith University

• Timothy C. Hart, Griffith University