Abstract

This study seeks to reaffirm the value of collective efficacy as a theory of offending and highlight a crucial individual-level mechanism through which collective efficacy may operate: individual-level perceived collective efficacy—subjective collective efficacy. We highlight the need to distinguish between individual-level perceptions of collective efficacy and the macro-level construct of collective efficacy. Analyzing data from the PHDCN, our study revealed that neighborhood levels of collective efficacy did not exert a direct effect on offending. However, neighborhood-level collective efficacy decreased offending indirectly through individual-level subjective collective efficacy. Our research suggests that scholars need to expand upon their conceptualization of collective efficacy and seek a more nuanced understanding of how collective efficacy operates at the macro and micro levels. In particular, we conclude that subjective collective efficacy should be understood as a cognitive landscape—a way of seeing the world—and be given theoretical and empirical attention.

摘要

本研究旨在重申集体效能作为一种冒犯理论的价值，并强调集体效能可能通过其发挥作用的一个关键的个人层面机制：个人层面感知的集体效能——主观集体效能。我们强调需要区分个人层面的集体效能感和宏观层面的集体效能感。分析来自 PHDCN 的数据，我们的研究表明，社区集体效能水平对犯罪没有直接影响。然而，邻里层面的集体效能通过个人层面的主观集体效能间接降低了犯罪率。我们的研究表明，学者们需要扩展他们对集体效能的概念化，并寻求对集体效能如何在宏观和微观层面上运作的更细致入微的理解。特别是，我们得出结论，主观集体效能应该被理解为一种认知景观——一种看待世界的方式——并受到理论和实证的关注。