Knowra Broken windows theory Broken windows theory Broken windows theory proposes that visible disorder, such as vandalism or unrepaired damage, can signal weak social control and encourage further disorder or crime.
Incivilities thesis : The claim that visible minor disorder can contribute to fear, neighborhood decline, or more serious offending. It states the disorder-to-crime pathway in a broader form.
James Q. Wilson : An American political scientist whose work examined crime, policing, and public institutions. He coauthored the 1982 article that introduced broken windows theory.
Zero-tolerance policing : A policing approach that enforces laws against minor offenses with little or no discretion. It is often associated with the theory, though the two are not identical.
Broken windows policing : A policing strategy that uses enforcement against minor disorder to prevent more serious crime. The policy is often conflated with the theory, although the theory does not prescribe a single tactic.
Collective efficacy : A neighborhood’s shared capacity to maintain social order through trust and informal social control. It explains neighborhood safety through residents’ capacity to act together, not disorder’s visual signals.
George L. Kelling : An American criminologist and police scholar known for research and writing on neighborhood order. He coauthored the theory’s foundational article with James Q. Wilson.
CompStat : A police management system that uses crime data, accountability meetings, and targeted deployment. Its adoption in New York City accompanied policing changes associated with broken windows.
Broken windows theory (criminology) : A criminological theory that visible disorder can signal weak social control and encourage further disorder. This duplicate label would identify the same concept, so it cannot serve as a distinct link.
Informal social control : Social regulation exercised through everyday relationships and community responses rather than formal institutions. The theory’s proposed signal is that this neighborhood-level regulation has weakened.
Broken Windows (Atlantic article) : A 1982 article by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling proposing that visible disorder can invite further disorder. This article set out the theory’s original argument and illustrative examples.
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