Broken Window Theory Research Paper

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Broken Windows, Broken Neighborhood In 1982, James Wilson and George Kelling introduced the concept of the Broken Windows Theory (Kirchner, Lauren). As told by Lauren Kitchner, the idea behind the theory is that “if a city block is litter-free and its buildings are well-maintained, people will be less likely to litter or vandalize there, because they will sense that they will be held accountable if they do so”. While the disorder does not directly correlate to crimes of a serious nature, the disorder does cause despair and withdrawal from the neighborhood residents which in turn allows for serious crime to migrate into the neighborhood (“Broken Windows Policing”). The neighborhood in which I reside lies in North Odessa, Texas, in a subdivision that was started less than five years ago. While the neighborhoods are still in favorable shape and have not succumbed to the Broken Windows Theory, I will proactively do three things in my neighborhood to battle the theory and keep it attractive.…show more content…
As I live in a fairly new subdivision, there are a small number of trees in the area. By planting a tree that is drought tolerant, I can help my neighborhood in two ways. The first will be to make the neighborhood more attractive with the addition of a tree. The second will be the use of less water than regular trees, which helps with the overall water conservation difficulties that tend to plague this drought heavy area. By showing my neighbors that I care about my front yard enough to plant a tree, hopefully this will inspire them to plant a tree or do other projects to make their yards more beautiful. While planting a tree will show that I care for my home and neighborhood, it does not eliminate the threat of

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