“Broken windows” theory validated

Steve Hawley, Dec 22, 08.

An article in The Economist notes that the controversial “broken windows” theory that physical disorder encourages crime has been substantiated by researchers in the Netherlands. The researchers observed unaware participants in a series of six experiments. The participants faced identical circumstances, except that one group encountered litter, graffiti, or other examples of disorder, while the other did not. Physical disorder doubled the number of people who were willing to litter, steal, or trespass. The name “broken windows” refers to the observation that a building with a few broken windows quickly becomes the target of further vandalism and break-ins, and the theory led to a “zero-tolerance” crime policy in New York City.