Is crime a question of health?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to encourage greater cross‐disciplinary understanding of the development of crime prevention and public health approaches, by using a wider framework of analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The findings of this paper are based on the scanning of a range of papers and developments across both the crime prevention and public health fields. The concept of convergence (which can be found in various fields of science and social science) provides a wider framework for analysis.

Findings

The resulting analysis suggests an increasing convergence between crime prevention and public health approaches, in terms of theory, policy and practice. It is also suggested that wider political and socio‐demographic trends could lead to the enforced integration.

Research limitations/implications

This paper does not draw on primary research.

Practical implications

Those working in each field are then left to choose whether to support such convergence, or alternatively argue for why the two areas should remain distinctive.

Social implications

This paper argues for greater consideration across the disciplines of the likely consequences of convergence.

Originality/value

There have been a number of previous papers on various intersections between crime prevention and public health. This paper seeks to draw on these, and offer a broader viewpoint on the development of the two disciplines within a wider framework of analysis.

Citation

Schuller, N. (2013), "Is crime a question of health?", Safer Communities, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 86-96. https://doi.org/10.1108/17578041311315067