A neighborhood with high collective efficacy would most likely show which of the following?

• A. High levels of wealth
• B. Fewer community resources
• C. Mutual trust among residents
• D. Higher crime rates

Answer: (C)

Collective efficacy is about social cohesion and informal social control in a community. In a neighborhood with high collective efficacy, residents know and trust one another and are willing to intervene for the common good. That mutual trust lets people look out for each other, supervise children, and jointly address problems, which helps deter crime and maintain social order. So mutual trust among residents best captures what strong collective efficacy looks like in action. Wealth or resources don’t by themselves create this social fabric, and higher crime would typically signal weaker, not stronger, collective efficacy.