Rapid economic development driven by the extraction of natural resources brings welcome prosperity to some Wyoming counties, but it may also foster crime, domestic violence, and substance abuse. With funding from the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, WYSAC is assessing the levels of prosperity, social disorganization, and collective efficacy in each Wyoming county. “Collective efficacy” is the extent to which residents perceive that they are able to intervene in community issues to maintain social control and solve problems.   WYSAC’s Center for Justice Research (CJR) and Survey Research Center are investigating how this perception is related to economic development.

A scientifically designed sample of Wyoming adults responded to a mailed questionnaire that asked about incivility, social cohesion, informal social control, and victim experiences.  In addition to individual responses, the project factors in community-level measures such as 9-1-1 emergency calls, non-violent and violent crime rates, and residential stability.  The researchers are conducting hierarchical linear modeling on the data to test theoretical hypotheses. Senior Research Scientist Rodney Wambeam, CJR Manager, is Co-Principal Investigator on the project along with Associate Research Scientist Thomas Furgeson. Assistant Research Scientist Steve Butler, Psychology Professor Narina Nunez and Assistant Professor of Family and Consumer Sciences Christine Wade are also part of the WYSAC research team.