Population Density and Social Pathology: The Case of Building Type, Social Allowance and Juvenile Delinquency

Abstract

This paper argues that the number of individuals per unit space is less appropriate for humans than building type as a correlate of patterns that have been considered socially “pathological.” Stepwise regression is used to analyze the data, with the census tract as the unit of analysis. The data show that when the effects of income and national origin have been removed, neither internal nor external density explains a significant amount of the variation in social allowance or delinquency, but building type remains a significant predictor of these variables. A path model is developed, showing that social allowance (welfare) rates, like the proportion of multiple dwellings, is an important predictor of juvenile delinquency rates.