Lynn Addington
Professor of Justice, Law & Criminology, American University
Key Findings
- Homes in non-gated communities are burglarized significantly (33%) more than homes in gated communities.
- Communities located closer to the suburbs had a lower chance of being burglarized.
- As the number of individuals living in a house increased, the odds of the home being burglarized also increased.
- Households with incomes between $25-49,000 had a higher risk for burglary than those that had an income of over $75,000.
- The homes of single Black homeowners had a higher risk of being burglarized when compared to their White counterparts.
Description
In the article, “Keeping the Barbarians Outside the Gate? Comparing Burglary Victimization in Gated and Non-Gated Communities,” Addington and her co-author examine the notion that gated communities are safer from crime than non-gated communities. Currently, there is no empirical research examining security levels in gated communities. To conduct the study, the researchers used data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 2009 to 2010, focusing on details of victimization from the past six months. NCVS includes a nationally representative sample of households, notes gated or non-gated communities, and measures victimization for each household surveyed. The results showed that although burglary is relatively rare in all households, homes in non-gated communities are burglarized significantly (33%) more than homes in gated communities. Communities located closer to the suburbs had a lower chance of being burglarized. As the number of individuals living in a house increased, the odds of the home being burglarized also increased. Households with incomes between $25-49,000 had a higher risk for burglary than those that had an income of more than $75,000. The homes of single Black homeowners had a higher risk of being burglarized when compared to their White counterparts. In conclusion, the authors note more research will have to be done on neighborhood specific risks of victimization as the NCVS is limited.