Broken window theory tells us that environmental damage creates a sense that the law doesn’t exist. When there’s no law, everyone can do whatever they want. In the absence of rules, any behavior is acceptable, including vandalism or destruction of property.
Imagine you’re smoking a cigarette. You’re done smoking, where are you throwing your ass?If you’re on a clean street, without a single trash on the floor, you’re more likely to keep your butt and throw it in the nearest dumpster; on the other hand, if the street is full of butts, you won’t. Even make the effort to get close to the dumpster and throw your ass to the ground. That’s what the studios tell us.
Broken window theory states that environmental damage creates a sense that the law does not exist.
Professor Philip Zimbardo, author of one of the best-known experiments in social psychology, the Stanford Prison Experiment, has produced another equally valuable but less well-known experiment: the experiment was to leave two abandoned cars on the street. The only difference was that one car was located in a troubled neighborhood, in a poor part of the city, and the other on a street in a wealthy neighborhood.
If a community shows signs of deterioration and doesn’t seem to care about anyone, the crime will be committed.
What happened to the cars? Expected. The car in the conflicting neighborhood was wrecked in a few hours, while the other car remained intact. The most logical conclusion was to think that poverty and marginalization were the cause of the crime. But no. Professor Zimbardo, suspecting the obvious, continued his investigation.
The next step he took was to change the situation of the car, to do so the windows of the car located in the affluent neighborhood were broken, what happened?Exactly the same thing that happened with the car they left in the suburbs, in hours both cars had the same level of destruction.
What was the conclusion? The results showed that they faced the theory of broken glass. Marginality is not the only cause of vandalism, the environment also plays an important role. The broken glass of the car conveyed an idea of deterioration, disinterest and carefreeness, creating the illusion that there were no laws, rules or rules. Broken crystals, as well as the state of the boardwalk, give the feeling that everything is allowed.
Taking as a starting point the theory of broken windows, it was decided to wipe out one of the most dangerous places in New York: the subway. All defects have been fixed. Dirt was cleaned and graffiti disappeared, small flights began to control and forced everyone using the subway to pay, the result was that the subway became a safe place.
If we allow violent attitudes to become normal in children’s development, the developmental model will be more violent when they become adults.
As a result of this success, the City of New York has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy. For this, all transgressions of the law have been prohibited and rules of coexistence have been established. Cleanliness and order in the communities have also been promoted. the result was positive and the crime rate was reduced.
As we have seen, if one of the glasses breaks and no one repairs it, you guess the fate of the other glasses. If a neighborhood starts showing signs of deterioration, the next step will be crime or vandalism. The environment influences us. Having a clean and impeccable environment can help you live better together. In addition, the theory of broken glass applies to all environments. If the sink is full of unwashed dishes for a few days?
If small mistakes are made (parking in a prohibited zone, speeding or not complying with the red traffic light), and they are not punished, bigger mistakes will start to appear, and then more and more serious crimes.
Small mistakes can lead to violations of the law. Allowing a small escape can lead to major thefts, such as corruption. Clear rules, which clearly indicate what the exceptions are, can be a solution, as long as it is not too late.