Identifying the nature of risky places for sexual crime: The applicability of crime pattern and social disorganization theories in a Canadian context

Purpose: Using both crime pattern and social disorganization theories, the current study investigates the characteristics of those places that experience high counts of reported sexual crime to police. Methods: Socio-demographic factors, land use, specific sexual crime attractors, and ecological variables are used to predict dissemination areas with high counts of sexual crime within a large city using 2180 founded crime events retrieved from a Canadian police database. Results: Socio-demographic and ecological factors, as well as the presence of particular sexual crime attractors, characterize these neighborhoods. For example, dissemination areas that have higher percentages of female, male, and single residents, as well as higher counts of rental units, bars, and schools, experience more sexual crimes. Land use does not predict dissemination areas with high counts of sexual crime. Conclusions: Both crime pattern and social disorganization theories provide a framework within which the nature of sexual crime places can be better understood. This information could be used to empower community members as to the types of places that are the riskiest for crimes of this nature, as well as to create a conversation about interventions that could be put in place at both the secondary and tertiary levels to prevent future occurrences.