SOCIAL CAPITAL, INCOME INEQUALITY, AND FIREARM VIOLENT CRIME

Studies have shown that poverty and income are powerful predictors of homicide and violent crime. We hypothesized that the effect of the gro wing gap between the rich and poor is mediated through an undermining of social cohesion, or social capital, and that decreased social capit al is in turn associated with increased firearm homicide and violent c rime. Social capital was measured by the weighted responses to two ite ms from the U.S. General Social Survey: the per capita density of memb ership in voluntary groups in each state; and the level of social trus t, as gauged by the proportion of residents in each state who believed that ''most people would take advantage of you if they got the chance ''. Age-standardized firearm homicide rates for the years 1987-1991 an d firearm robbery and assault Incidence rates for years 1991-1994 were obtained for each of the 50 U.S. states. Income inequality was strong ly correlated with firearm violent crime (firearm homicide, r = 0.76) as well as the measures of social capital: per capita group membership (r = -0.40) and lack of social trust (r = 0.73). In turn, both social trust (firearm homicide, r = 0.83) and group membership (firearm homi cide, r = - 0.49) were associated with firearm violent crime. These re lationships held when controlling for poverty and a proxy variable for access to firearms. The profound effects of income inequality and soc ial capital, when controlling for other factors such as poverty and fi rearm availability, on firearm violent crime indicate that policies th at address these broader, macro-social forces warrant serious consider ation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.