Related Factors

Studies confirm differences between participants and nonparticipants in vol-untary organizations in general as well as those for crime prevention. Partici-pants are more stable, longer residents, and attached residents with better socioeconomic status. Yet, previous studies have not thoroughly considered neighborhood conditions. A few studies show the overall participation-rate differences across neighborhoods without considering whether individuals residing in neighborhoods with different conditions show dissimilar patterns of participation. In addition, studies rarely consider the crime-related prob-lems of communities. This study examines the differences between partici-pants and nonparticipants in neighborhood crime-prevention associations with particular attention paid to the neighborhood-related factors, including crime problems. In addition, whether individual-related characteristics show the same or similar impact on participation when the community social con-text is in consideration is another question to be answered. It is reveale