Collective efficacy, which examines how social cohesion is activated in communities as informal social control, is a commonly used framework for community-based crime prevention. Previous research suggests that mutual efficacy, defined as group members’ perceptions that collective action can be successful, mediates the relationship between social cohesion and informal social control. However, previous research was limited in its measurement of mutual efficacy. The present study examines how mutual efficacy can facilitate participation in community-based crime prevention using a newly developed mutual efficacy scale. Findings suggest that social cohesion, mutual efficacy, and informal social control are distinct, though positively correlated constructs. Mutual efficacy partially mediates the relationship between social cohesion and informal social control. Findings suggest that building social cohesion and raising mutual efficacy are key goals for community-based crime prevention. Thus, practitioners should blend community practice principles with criminal justice goals to increase the effectiveness of interventions.

集体效能，它检查社会凝聚力如何在社区中作为非正式的社会控制被激活，是基于社区的犯罪预防的常用框架。先前的研究表明，相互效能（定义为群体成员对集体行动可以成功的看法）调节了社会凝聚力和非正式社会控制之间的关系。然而，先前的研究在其相互效力的测量方面受到限制。本研究使用新开发的互效量表检验互效如何促进参与以社区为基础的犯罪预防工作。研究结果表明，社会凝聚力、相互效力和非正式的社会控制是不同的，尽管是正相关的结构。相互效能部分地调节了社会凝聚力和非正式社会控制之间的关系。研究结果表明，建立社会凝聚力和提高相互效能是社区预防犯罪的关键目标。因此，从业者应将社区实践原则与刑事司法目标相结合，以提高干预的有效性。