The Broken Window

Theory
 The History
• The theory was
introduced in a 1982
article by social
scientists James Q.
Wilson and George L.
Kelling.
 Introduction
• The broken windows
theory is a
criminological theory
of the effects of lack
of organization and
dirty places on
social behavior.
 Main Goals
• The theory states that
monitoring and maintaining
urban environments in a
well-ordered condition may
prevent further vandalism
as well as an escalation
into crime.
 Broken Window Theory
Lack of Organization

City Mismanagement

Dirty Places

Dirty Streets

Poor Infra-structure

Trash Misbehavior
Crime
 Main Reasons
• The reason why the state of
the urban environment may
affect crime may be described
as due to three factors:
– Social norms and conformity.
– Presence or lack of monitoring,
and
– Social signaling and Signal
Crime.
 Important
• It has been subject to
great debate both within
the social sciences and
in the public debate.
• The theory has been
used as a motivation for
several reforms in
criminal policy.
Lico Reis Consultoria
& Línguas
Prof. Roberto Lico

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