What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to explore how Neighborhood Watch signs impact residents' perceptions of crime and fear in different communities.

November 1, 2009CriminologyOpen Access

Criminal Beware: A Social Norms Perspective on Posting Public Warning Signs*

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Experiments demonstrate how Neighborhood Watch signs affect crime perceptions in communities, highlighting complex outcomes.

The aim is to explore how Neighborhood Watch signs impact residents' perceptions of crime and fear in different communities.
Conducted three experiments focusing on the effects of Neighborhood Watch sign presence and content.
Utilized a virtual community tour to assess causal impacts on perceived crime rates and victimization worries.
Examined interactions between sign information and the environmental context in which they are posted.
Consistent findings show that Neighborhood Watch signs can increase fear of crime and victimization worries.
Outcomes vary significantly based on sign content and the surrounding environmental context.
Unintended consequences arise from the public posting of crime prevention signs.

Schultz et al. (2009) studied this question.

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