Research-Note: An Examination of the Effect of Black Isolation on White Homicide and Robbery Arrest Rates

• Author: Mark Beaulieu
• Published date: 01 June 2011
• Date: 01 June 2011
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3818/JRP.13.1.2011.45
• Subject Matter: Article

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RESEARCHNOTE:ANEXAMINATIONOFTHEEFFECT

 OFBLACKISOLATIONONWHITEHOMICIDEAND 

 ROBBERYARRESTRATES

Mark Beaulieu

State University of New York College at Plattsburgh

* Abstract

There are two common themes in research that examines the link between segre-

gation and race-specif‌ic crime (whether measured by racially disaggregated arrest

rates, offending, or victimization). First, the majority of this research focuses on the

theoretical link between segregation and black crime. While the research may include

race-specif‌ic arrest rates from the Uniform Crime Reports or offending/victimization

data from the Supplementary Homicide Reports, there is usually no expectation for

a relationship between the segregation of the black community and the measure of

white crime. Second, the dissimilarity index is the most commonly used measure of

segregation in this type of research, as opposed to other measures such as the isolation

index. The present study adds to the current literature in two ways. First, it presents

a hypothesis that the segregation of African-Americans may benef‌it the white com-

munity by reducing white homicide and robbery arrest rates. Second, it replaces the

dissimilarity index with the rarely used isolation index for both methodological and

theoretical reasons. Findings from ordinary least squares regression using a sample of

81 of the largest cities from 1990 and 2000 suggest that black isolation lowers both

white homicide and white robbery arrest rates.

JUSTICE RESEARCH AND POLICY, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2011

© 2011 Justice Research and Statistics Association

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The argument that “segregation persists in the United States because whites benef‌it

from it,” as Massey writes in a 2001 study (Massey, 2001, p. 338), is a relatively

overlooked interpretation in research on residential segregation and crime. The

suggestion that whites may be less likely to offend and/or be victimized as a result

of segregation is an idea that some may not wish to discuss, since this may be per-

ceived as supporting or justifying segregation. However, resistance to desegrega-

tion may occur via avenues other than racism. Sidanius and Pratto (1999) found

that social class is negatively related to an index of attitudinal orientation towards

intergroup relations—the Social Dominance Order (SDO) index. Higher scores on

the index indicate a preference for hierarchical, versus equal, intergroup relations.

In particular, poor whites may be more likely to resist desegregation because it

would affect their current privileged position, both socially and politically. Thus,

even if racism were to diminish, it is possible that resistance to segregation would

continue to exist, with white advantage or privilege being one possible source.

While the discussion of white advantage may be disconcerting, ignoring a discus-

sion of white advantages resulting from segregation may make it more diff‌icult to

improve socioeconomic outcomes for disadvantaged minorities.

* Literature Review

Research that examines the effect of segregation on race-specif‌ic rates of crime

tends to focus on disadvantage or inequality. When studies examine the effects

of segregation on both black and white crime rates, they generally predict no

relationship between segregation and white crime rates or include segregation

within a measure that incorporates other forms of inequality or deprivation in

the white models.

There are theoretical reasons to believe that segregation not only negatively

impacts black communities, but that it also serves to benef‌it white communi-

ties. Shihadeh and Flynn (1996) point to segregation having three distinct effects

on black communities: social, economic, and political. However, if blacks are

negatively affected socially, economically, and politically by segregation, then it

stands to reason that whites may be positively affected by the segregation of the

black community. For example, segregation may help separate white communi-

ties from the criminogenic effects of economic downturns and protect them from

unfavorable political decisions. In addition, segregation may insulate whites from

the social conditions that lead to offending. While Peterson and Krivo (1999,

p. 469) point to white advantages resulting from segregation, they predict no

relationship between segregation and white crime rates. They argue that segrega-

tion allows white disadvantage to be “spread throughout the generally large but

segregated white portions of the city” (p. 472). While this could certainly be the

case, this does indicate that whites benef‌it from the segregation of blacks. Black

segregation allows whites to be exempt from the concentrated disadvantage that