Deviant Places

Bars and Pubs

Frequenting bars and pubs increases deviant activity such as excessive alcohol use and offending behavior among young adults. Drinking is found to be related to offending by increasing the magnitude of conflicts and increasing aggressive behaviors. Individuals under the influence of alcohol are less inhibited from stealing goods, engaging in risky sexual behavior, and starting fights. Drinking is also related to other forms of deviance such as self-harm and damaging property. Drinking at bars increases the chance that a person will operate a motor vehicle after drinking. In fact, in places such as the United States, driving to and from bars is considered normative by many—making the chances of an accident more likely in these cultures. However, it is not only drinking that increases the chance of deviance but also the mere fact that bars bring together individuals who may be looking for opportunities to offend (i.e., motivated offenders). Motivated offenders have been known to wait outside bars to attack or rob drunken patrons, who have diminished capability to defend themselves.

Parks and Unsupervised Areas

Disadvantaged neighborhoods often have a greater number of deviant places. One reason is that disadvantaged neighborhoods have a larger proportion of crowded homes, which pushes people outside and into places conducive to deviance—for example, parks and other unsupervised areas, such as corner stores and sports fields. Many parents do not restrict children to their homes, allowing them to congregate in these areas unsupervised. Therefore, instead of being at home or in close contact with adult neighbors, youth often retreat to parks and fields to spend their time. Just as bars and pubs are deviant places for older youth and young adults, parks and fields are often the equivalent for adolescents—they offer a place to spend time with one another and engage in inappropriate behavior, often out of sight of adequate supervision. Houses designed so that residents can see parks and other lots, along with who comes in and out of their neighborhood, have been successful in creating safer places.

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