Community stakeholders' perceptions of crime and victimization: A mixed-methods approach to understanding collective efficacy and social cohesion in the rural heartland

Previous criminological literature has mostly neglected rural communities, often treating these places as smaller pieces of urban culture. Literature suggests communities operate differently than neighborhoods, with distinctive values, norms, and community cohesion. For example, concepts surrounding collective efficacy may work counterproductively in areas—further exploiting outed members within "close-knit" environments. The current study sought to compare perceptions social cohesion, crime, victimization between counties across one Midwestern state. Using a mixed-methods approach, stakeholders from variety professions were surveyed. Quantitative results suggest similar cohesion while qualitative responses paint much different picture—an image "minding their own business" both formally informally intervening only the most extreme personalized scenarios.