Social networks are key to city violence

A new study of gun violence in Chicago, led by Yale sociologist Andrew Papachristos , reveals that a person's social network is a key predictor in whether an individual will become a victim of gun homicide, even more so than race, age, gender, poverty, or gang affiliation. "Risk factors like race and poverty are not the predictors they have been assumed to be," said Papachristos, "It's who you hang out with that gets you into trouble. It's tragic, but not random." The study, co-authored with Christopher Wildeman from the Yale Department of Sociology, likens gun violence to a blood-borne pathogen. In the analysis, published Nov. 14 in "The American Journal of Public Health," Papachristos notes that crime, like a disease, follows certain patterns. People in the same social network, he said, are more likely to engage in similar risky behaviors-like carrying a firearm or taking part in criminal activities - which increases the probability of victimization. "Generally, you can't catch a bullet from just anyone.