Final answer:
The relationship between crime rate and families with lower wages involves analyzing various factors through theories like Social Disorganization Theory. While there is a correlation between crime and income inequalities, causality cannot be presumed due to the influence of confounding variables. Broader societal issues, and economic conditions such as low wages, affect crime rates by influencing the opportunity costs of crime.
Step-by-step explanation:
Investigating the relationship between crime rate and families with lower wages can be complex, as it involves various social, economic, and demographic factors. Social Disorganization Theory suggests that crime is influenced by neighborhood dynamics, such as the rate of young males, unemployment, residential instability, and population density. Studies applying this theory have found that when holding these factors constant, the presence of certain businesses, such as payday lenders, can worsen crime rates.
In analyzing the co-occurrence of crime rate and income inequalities, a correlation coefficient of r=.55 indicates a moderate relationship between the two. However, causality cannot be inferred from correlation alone due to possible confounding variables like police expenditures, unemployment levels, region, average age and more, which might also impact crime rates.
Broader societal issues like income inequality, lack of opportunity, racism, poverty, poor schools, gang activity, drug and alcohol abuse contribute to crime. Furthermore, economic conditions, such as low wages, play a role in increasing the opportunity cost of crime, making criminal acts a more viable option for individuals compared to low-paying legal work.