Science &Technology
Criminology

53. Can the can
Nov 20th 2008 From The Economist print edition

The idea that graffiti-spraying and other forms of low-level delinquency promote further bad behaviour has now been tested experimentally

53-1-239
A PLACE that is covered in graffiti and festooned with rubbish makes people feel uneasy. And with good reason, according to a group of researchers in the Netherlands. Kees Keizer and his colleagues at the University of Groningen deliberately created such settings as a part of a series of experiments designed to discover if signs of vandalism, litter and low-level lawbreaking could change the way people behave. They found that they could, by a lot: doubling the number who are prepared to litter and steal.
The idea that observing disorder can have a psychological effect on people has been around for a while. In the late 1980s George Kelling, a former probation officer who now works at Rutgers University, initiated what became a vigorous campaign to remove graffiti from New York City's subway system, which was followed by a reduction in petty crime. This idea also underpinned the 'zero tolerance' which Rudy Giuliani subsequently brought to the city's streets when he became mayor.

A. 어휘
criminology 범죄학. graffiti 낙서, 긁은 그림.
graffiti-spraying 스프레이로 낙서하는 것. delinquency 非行(비행), 못된 짓.
festoon 꽃줄(꽃.잎.색종이 따위로 만든 줄모양의 장식), 꽃줄로 장식하다.
rubbish 쓰레기. colleague 同僚(동료). deliberately 고의적으로, 심사숙고하여.
setting 환경. sign 흔적, 표. vandalism (문화의) 파괴, 야만스러운 짓.
litter 어질러진 것, 쓰레기. disorder 무질서, 난잡, 소란, 疾患(질환).
probation 執行猶豫(집행유예). initiate 시작하다. vigorous 활발한. reduction 감소.
petty 하급의, 사소한. underpin 기초의 일부를 만들다. tolerance 관용.
zero tolerance 관용을 베풀지 않는 것, 엄격하게 처벌하는 것.
subsequently 그 이후에.

B. 구문
- Kees Keizer and his colleagues . . . the way people behave.
cf. the way people behave→the way in which people behave. in which=how
[Groningen 대학의 Kees Keizer 와 그의 동료들은 야만스러운 짓, 쓰레기 버리기, 사소한 법률위반의 흔적이 사람들의 행동을 어떻게 변화시키는 가를 알아내기 위해서 고안된 실험중의 하나로서 이러한 환경(낙서를 하거나 쓰레기를 버린 장소)을 의도 적으로 만들었다.]
- observing disorder
[어질러진 장면을 보는 것]

53-2-240
Many cities and communities around the world now try to get on top of anti-social behaviour as a way of deterring crime. But the idea remains a controversial one, not least because it is often difficult to account for other factors that could influence crime reduction, such as changes in poverty levels, housing conditions and sentencing policyeven, some people have argued, the removal of lead from petrol. An experimental test of the 'broken windows theory', as Dr Kelling and his colleague James Wilson later called the idea, is therefore long overdue. And that is what Dr Keizer and his colleagues have provided.

The writing's on the wall
Dr Kelling's theory takes its name from the observation that a few broken windows in an empty building quickly lead to more smashed panes, more vandalism and eventually to break-ins. The tendency for people to behave in a particular way can be strengthened or weakened depending on what they observe others to be doing. This does not necessarily mean that people will copy bad behaviour exactly, reaching for a spray can when they see graffiti. Rather, says Dr Keizer, it can foster the 'violation' of other norms of behaviour. It was this effect that his experiments, which have just been published in Science, set out to test.

A. 어휘
get on top of ...에 승리하다, 압도하다. deter ...을 방지하다.
controversial 논쟁의 여지가 있는. not least 적지 않게(=much).
account for 설명하다. sentencing policy 量刑政策(양형정책). removal 제거.
lead 납. petrol 휘발유.
overdue 遲延(지연)된(당연히 해야 될 일을 하지 않고 있는), 기한이 지난.
smash 박살내다. pane 유리창. eventually 마침내, 결국에는. break-in 불법침입.
depending on ...에 따라서, ...에 좌우되어.
not necessarily 반드시...하지는 않다(부분부정). reach for ...을 향해 손을 뻗다.
spray can 스프레이 통. foster 助長(조장)하다, 촉진하다, 양육하다. norm 규범, 표준.
norms of behaviour 행동규범. set out 착수하다.

B. 구문
- depending on . . . others to be doing.
[다른 사람들이 행동하는 것을 보는 것에 좌우되어]