Dogs make wonderful friends. Our canine buddies have long provided us with devotion, affection, and steadfast friendship, but there may now be even another advantage. Neighborhoods with more dogs have lower rates of violent crime, including homicide, robbery, and, to a lesser extent, aggravated assaults, according to Ohio State University researchers. The study, which was just published in Social Forces, sheds light on how communities develop trust that fosters safety.
The notion of “natural surveillance” or “eyes on the street” was used as a foundation by the researcher. She posited that it would be simpler to maintain order and safety through this informal monitoring if there were more eyes openly moving throughout a community. The new paper’s authors sought to investigate how this monitoring occurs, and dog walking seemed like the logical place to start. According to research author Nicolo Pinchak, “people walking their dogs are effectively patrolling their communities.” “They notice when anything is off and when suspicious strangers are present. It could serve as a crime deterrence.
According to research, neighborhood trust makes individuals more willing to care and get active, which helps prevent crime. More dogs were associated with lower crime in areas where inhabitants trusted one another, the research team discovered. Even in places with decreased trust, this held true. “Trust doesn’t benefit neighborhoods as much if there aren’t any on-the-ground observers of what’s happening. That’s what walking dogs does, according to Pinchak. “When individuals take their dogs for a stroll, they chat and pat one another’s pets. Even the owners don’t always know the name of the dog. They become informed and are able to identify possible issues.
While the precise reasons why having dogs in a community reduces crime are yet unknown, Fido is unquestionably a terrific watchdog.
More dogs in a neighborhood might help reduce crime, experts say, by getting people out and about.
h/t: [Science Alert]
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