HypothesisIn this study, I will examine the relationship between poverty and homicide. I predict that there will be a significant association between increasing poverty rates and increasing homicide rates. The null hypothesis states that there is no significant relationship between poverty and homicide. The alternative hypothesis states that there will be a significant relationship between poverty and homicide. The two theories I have found to explain the increase in poverty and homicide rates in the urban community are Merton's strain theory and Shaw and McKay's social disorganization theory. Merton's theory of constraints states that social structures limit access to the goal of achievement through legitimate means (Lilly et al., 1995, p. 53). Shaw and McKay's social disorganization theory states that the weakening of family and community ties that bind people together affects the social control of a community (Lilly et al., 1995, p. 53). exploratory, transversal and quantitative design. The exploratory design attempts to examine a correlation or connection that has not yet been clearly explained. The cross-sectional design will study research problems or questions at a specific point in time (Senese, 1997). The independent variable (poverty) and dependent variable (homicide) were studied in 2009. The quantitative design is an empirical investigation that measures the relationship between poverty and homicide. To obtain data for my research, I used three different sources of analysis: the Federal Investigation Bureau's (FBI) Uniform Crime Report (UCR), the Economic Research Service (ERS), and the United States Census Bureau. Secondary data analysis is a research...... middle of article...... logical theory: background and consequences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication, Inc. Senese, J. D. (1997). Research methods applied in criminal justice. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, Inc. Walker, J. T., & Madden, S. (2005). Analysis and interpretation of statistics in criminology and criminal justice. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc. United States Census Bureau. (September 16, 2010). Poverty. Retrieved April 10, 2011 from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/methods/definitions.htmlUnited States Department of Agriculture. (September 10, 2010). Economic Research Service. Accessed April 10, 2011 from http://www.ers.usda.gov/US Department of Justice. (2010, September). Crime in the United States 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2011 from http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/offenses/expand_information/homicide.html