The Nonlinear Effect of Informal Social Control on Repeat Intimate Partner Violence Victimization

Abstract

Prior research has examined the effects of neighborhood context on intimate partner violence (IPV) with mixed results. While most studies find that neighborhood disadvantage is positively associated with risk of IPV, the effects are less consistent for characteristics such as social ties and informal social control. One possible explanation for these mixed findings draws from theoretical and empirical literature arguing that a high level of collective efficacy can aid in the control of criminal behavior, but it can also deter residents from acting against crime committed by neighbors. This suggests the possibility of a nonlinear effect of collective efficacy where the risk of IPV may be high in areas with very low levels of collective efficacy because of the inability of neighborhoods to collectively control residents, but it may also be high in areas with very high levels of collective efficacy where residents are less willing to report on the criminal behavior of fellow residents. We test this possibility using survey data for female victims of IPV in Chicago merged with neighborhood characteristics. Findings suggest that the risk of repeat victimization is highest in areas with either very high or very low levels of informal social control.

Keywords: informal social control; intimate partner violence; neighborhood context; nonlinear.