FACTORS RELATED TO PARTICIPATION IN NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEMES

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Abstract
The development of community crime prevention programmes in the United States of America has been accompanied by a growing body of research which has aimed to determine the characteristics of residents who participate in these programmes. This research has been oriented by two perspectives on motivation: one view is that perceived crime problems stimulate collective action, and participants are more likely than non-participants to be fearful of crime; another view is that fear of crime inhibits action, and participants are more likely than non-participants to have a strong sense of social cohesion and to be involved in community associations. The paper investigates the factors that differentiate participants and non-participants in two Neighbourhood Watch scheme areas in London. The research shows that participants are both more fearful and more involved in their community than non-participants and concludes that a synthesis of the two perspectives might be appropriate.

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