Replicating Sampson and Groves's Test of Social Disorganization Theory: Revisiting a Criminological Classic

Using data from the British Crime Survey conducted in 1982, Sampson and Groves provided a convincing test of social disorganization theory. Although macro-level theory was in the midst of a revival when this investigation appeared, no single article did more to polish the previously tarnished image of social disorganization theory than Sampson and Groves's analysis; in fact, this work has become a criminological classic. Subsequent research, however, has not systematically replicated this study. Questions thus remain as to whether Sampson and Groves uncovered enduring empirical realities or idiosyncratic relationships reflecting the time period from which the data were drawn. In this context, the current research seeks to replicate Sampson and Groves's findings with data from the 1994 British Crime Survey. Analyses of similar models with similar measures yield results consistent with social disorganization theory and consistent with the results presented by Sampson and Groves. Our study suggests, therefore, that the findings of the initial classic study were not artifactual but illuminated an underlying empirical pattern that has persisted over time.