Understanding the Contextual Effect on Spatial Concentrations of Crimes: Generalized Linear Modeling Analysis of Geographical Information

• In Event: Roundtable: Contextual Effects? Spatial Dependence? Spatial Regressions? Where We Are and Where We Go!

Abstract

Since earlier studies on geographical crime distributions, the contextual effect has been discussed as one of the main reasons of crime concentrations. It is indisputable that crimes happen more frequently in the area with higher criminality; therefore, locational units should retain higher risk of being targeted in proportion to contextual level of criminality (i.e. crime rate). Due to the lack of methodological and theoretical development, however, previous studies have rather addressed contextual effects as indirect and mediating influence on crime concentration. With newly initiated arguments on crime distributions, this study aims to theorize the direct and immediate effect of contextual factors and examine this approach with empirical data.

Author

• Seong-min Park, University of Nevada, Las Vegas