"broken windows theory" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "After article propounding the theory by social scientists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling, “Broken Windows”, Atlantic Monthly (March 1982).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "broken windows theory",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
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  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Criminology",
          "orig": "en:Criminology",
          "parents": [
            "Crime",
            "Sociology",
            "Criminal law",
            "Society",
            "Social sciences",
            "Law",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Justice",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014, Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven, Picador (2022), page 249",
          "text": "Clark disliked the general state of unshavenness, partly for aesthetic reasons and partly because he was a believer in the broken-windows theory of urban-crime management, the way the appearance of dereliction can pave the way for more serious crimes.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A criminological theory stating that signs of urban decay (e.g. broken windows, graffiti) signal that an area is not monitored, encouraging more destructive criminal behavior."
      ],
      "id": "en-broken_windows_theory-en-name-~KkjjXVY",
      "links": [
        [
          "criminology",
          "criminology"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(criminology) A criminological theory stating that signs of urban decay (e.g. broken windows, graffiti) signal that an area is not monitored, encouraging more destructive criminal behavior."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "broken windows policing"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "broken window theory"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "criminology",
        "human-sciences",
        "law",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "broken windows theory"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "broken windows theory"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "After article propounding the theory by social scientists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling, “Broken Windows”, Atlantic Monthly (March 1982).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "broken windows theory",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "broken windows policing"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English proper nouns",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English uncountable nouns",
        "en:Criminology"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014, Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven, Picador (2022), page 249",
          "text": "Clark disliked the general state of unshavenness, partly for aesthetic reasons and partly because he was a believer in the broken-windows theory of urban-crime management, the way the appearance of dereliction can pave the way for more serious crimes.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A criminological theory stating that signs of urban decay (e.g. broken windows, graffiti) signal that an area is not monitored, encouraging more destructive criminal behavior."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "criminology",
          "criminology"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(criminology) A criminological theory stating that signs of urban decay (e.g. broken windows, graffiti) signal that an area is not monitored, encouraging more destructive criminal behavior."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "criminology",
        "human-sciences",
        "law",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "broken windows theory"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "broken window theory"
    }
  ],
  "word": "broken windows theory"
}