Alcohol, Ethnicity, and Violence: The Role of Alcohol Availability for Latino and Black Aggravated Assaults and Robberies

This article is one of the first to assess the impact of alcohol availability, an important but understudied neighborhood element, and other social disorganization measures for Latino and black aggravated assault and robbery victimizations. Using data from Miami, Florida, for 1996 and 1997, we find that although most predictors have similar effects on the outcomes for both groups, higher alcohol availability rates are associated with more Latino but not black victims. To explain this finding, we relate the criminogenic influence of alcohol to contextual features of Latino and black neighborhoods, thereby integrating qualitative observations and quantitative data. Higher concentrations of recent immigrants are also related to fewer black assault victims, more Latino assault victims, but not to robberies for either group.

[1]  E. Baumer.  NEIGHBORHOOD DISADVANTAGE AND POLICE NOTIFICATION BY VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE , 2002 .

[2]  Paul Gruenewald,et al.  The spatial dynamics of violence and alcohol outlets. , 2002, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[3]  D. Osgood.  Poisson-Based Regression Analysis of Aggregate Crime Rates , 2000 .

[4]  Randi Cartmill,et al.  Immigrants and Violence: The Importance of Neighborhood Context , 1998 .

[5]  P. Gruenewald,et al.  The relationship of outlet densities to alcohol consumption: a time series cross-sectional analysis. , 1993, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research.

[6]  Lawrence E. Cohen,et al.  Social Change and Crime Rate Trends: A Routine Activity Approach , 1979 .

[7]  Marjorie S. Zatz,et al.  VOICES FROM THE BARRIO: CHICANO/A GANGS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES* , 2000 .

[8]  Matthew T. Lee,et al.  Comparing the Context of Immigrant Homicides in Miami: Haitians, Jamaicans and Mariels 1 , 2000 .

[9]  Lauren J. Krivo,et al.  The Structural Context of Homicide: Accounting for Racial Differences in Process , 2000, American Sociological Review.

[10]  D. Cohen,et al.  Alcohol availability and homicide in New Orleans: conceptual considerations for small area analysis of the effect of alcohol outlet density. , 1999, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[11]  Dennis W. Roncek,et al.  BARS, BLOCKS, AND CRIMES REVISITED: LINKING THE THEORY OF ROUTINE ACTIVITIES TO THE EMPIRICISM OF “HOT SPOTS”* , 1991 .

[12]  R. Waldinger.  Strangers at the Gates , 2001 .

[13]  E. Seabury.  Alcohol & homicide: A deadly combination of two American traditions : By Robert Nash Parker and Linda-Anne Rebhun State University of New York Press (State University Plaza, Albany, New York 12246), 1995, 185 pp., softcover — $16.95 , 1995 .

[14]  Matthew T. Lee,et al.  Does Immigration Increase Homicide? Negative Evidence From Three Border Cities , 2001 .

[15]  Ross Isaac,et al.  Strangers at the Gate , 1995 .

[16]  Lauren J. Krivo,et al.  Extremely Disadvantaged Neighborhoods and Urban Crime , 1996 .

[17]  Robert C. Davis,et al.  Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System. Research in Brief. , 1998 .

[18]  J. Lauritsen,et al.  Race, Ethnicity, and Serious and Violent Juvenile Offending. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. , 2000 .

[19]  J. Wallace,et al.  Health risk and inequitable distribution of liquor stores in African American neighborhood. , 2000, Social science & medicine.

[20]  Robert J. Sampson,et al.  Systematic Social Observation of Public Spaces: A New Look at Disorder in Urban Neighborhoods1 , 1999, American Journal of Sociology.

[21]  Janet L. Lauritsen,et al.  Neighborhood Disadvantage and the Nature of Violence , 2003 .

[22]  D. Mackinnon,et al.  The risk of assaultive violence and alcohol availability in Los Angeles County. , 1995, American journal of public health.

[23]  Robert J. Sampson,et al.  Neighborhood inequality, collective efficacy, and the spatial dynamics of urban violence , 2001 .

[24]  A. Portes,et al.  City on the Edge: The Transformation of Miami , 1993 .

[25]  P. Gruenewald,et al.  Spatial dynamics of alcohol availability, neighborhood structure and violent crime. , 2001, Journal of studies on alcohol.

[26]  Lauren J. Krivo,et al.  Disadvantage and Neighborhood Violent Crime: Do Local Institutions Matter? , 2000 .

[27]  Lauren J. Krivo,et al.  STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY AND HOMICIDE: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE BLACK‐WHITE GAP IN KILLINGS , 2003 .

[28]  C. Kubrin,et al.  Structural Covariates Of Homicide Rates: Does Type Of Homicide Matter? , 2003 .

[29]  Liqi Zhu,et al.  Alcohol outlet density and violence: a geospatial analysis. , 2004, Alcohol and alcoholism.

[30]  S. E. Costanza,et al.  ALCOHOL AVAILABILITY AND VIOLENT CRIME RATES: A SPATIAL ANALYSIS , 2001 .

[31]  R. Sampson,et al.  Toward a Theory of Race, Crime, and Urban Inequality , 1995 .

[32]  H. D. McKay,et al.  Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas , 1943 .

[33]  Thomas L. McNulty,et al.  ASSESSING THE RACE-VIOLENCE RELATIONSHIP AT THE MACRO LEVEL: THE ASSUMPTION OF RACIAL INVARIANCE AND THE PROBLEM OF RESTRICTED DISTRIBUTIONS* , 2001 .

[34]  M. Dunn.  Black Miami in the Twentieth Century , 1997 .

[35]  R. Cartmill,et al.  ALCOHOL AND HOMICIDE IN THE UNITED STATES 1934-1995-OR ONE REASON WHY U.S. RATES OF VIOLENCE MAY BE GOING DOWN , 1998 .

[36]  A. Piquero,et al.  USING THE CORRECT STATISTICAL TEST FOR THE EQUALITY OF REGRESSION COEFFICIENTS , 1998 .

[37]  Janet L. Lauritsen,et al.  Race, Ethnicity, and Serious and Violent Juvenile Offending , 2000 .

[38]  Graham C. Ousey.  HOMICIDE, STRUCTURAL FACTORS, AND THE RACIAL INVARIANCE ASSUMPTION , 1999 .

[39]  Elijah Anderson.  Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City , 1999 .

[40]  P. Speer,et al.  Risk of assaultive violence and alcohol availability in New Jersey. , 1998, American journal of public health.

[41]  A. Guest,et al.  Joblessness, Family Disruption, and Violent Death in Chicago, 1970–90 , 1998 .