Which factor is least likely to contribute to a neighborhood's collective efficacy?

Which factor is least likely to contribute to a neighborhood's collective efficacy?

• A. Residents who trust each other
• B. Coordination to supervise youth
• C. Availability of community resources
• D. Heightened individualism and lack of communal ties

Answer: (D)

Collective efficacy rests on social cohesion and shared expectations for social control among neighbors. When people in a neighborhood trust each other, they’re more willing to look out for one another, share information, and intervene when problems arise, which strengthens the community’s ability to supervise behavior and maintain safety. Trust among residents is a key driver because it lowers the barriers to cooperation and makes informal social control possible. Coordinating efforts to supervise youth is a practical expression of collective efficacy—neighbors actively collaborate to guide and monitor young people, which helps prevent problems before they escalate. Availability of community resources supports these processes by providing spaces, programs, and opportunities for neighbors to interact, build relationships, and organize actions that benefit the whole area. In contrast, heightened individualism and a lack of communal ties undermine the very fabric that makes collective efficacy possible. When people are more focused on their own interests and less connected to their neighbors, there’s less trust, fewer collaborations, and less willingness to intervene, reducing the neighborhood’s capacity to act collectively.

Collective efficacy rests on social cohesion and shared expectations for social control among neighbors. When people in a neighborhood trust each other, they’re more willing to look out for one another, share information, and intervene when problems arise, which strengthens the community’s ability to supervise behavior and maintain safety.

Trust among residents is a key driver because it lowers the barriers to cooperation and makes informal social control possible. Coordinating efforts to supervise youth is a practical expression of collective efficacy—neighbors actively collaborate to guide and monitor young people, which helps prevent problems before they escalate. Availability of community resources supports these processes by providing spaces, programs, and opportunities for neighbors to interact, build relationships, and organize actions that benefit the whole area.

In contrast, heightened individualism and a lack of communal ties undermine the very fabric that makes collective efficacy possible. When people are more focused on their own interests and less connected to their neighbors, there’s less trust, fewer collaborations, and less willingness to intervene, reducing the neighborhood’s capacity to act collectively.