I grew up right in the middle of a very large American city. Did plenty of stupid shit like smoke cigarettes on subway trains, go to parties in abandoned buildings in sketchy neighborhoods, threw up on the sidewalk. Never once have I decided to commit property or violent crimes.

You’ve never once decided to murder anyone either, but around 500k happen per year around the world.

I’m not sure why it’s worth pointing out that few of us have done what the author describes, but it’s probably not uncommon. Some kids egged my car at highway speeds, which could’ve cracked the windshield or caused an accident. Not too much difference between that and baseball bat + tail light.

Mix of suburban and rural. Suburban for high school.

Sorry, I don't know where I was going with this. You'll have to excuse me.

I understood your question to be around the potentially commonly held belief (read: what I've heard) that city folk are generally brought up with less responsibility bestowed upon them than rural folks (and the scale that exists between those two extremes).

Maybe not entirely "responsibility bestowed" but also the behavioural differences (distractions available, ability to deal with boredom) that come with the density difference of both things and people and space.

Edit: replaced the word "fact" for a more appropriate description of the truthiness of the situation.

Hm. My experience is exactly the opposite. Shooting a sign with buckshot or taking out a mailbox are completely unthinkable in my city neighborhood, but totally normal back home.

I was thinking the same thing, based on my teen years in a small town far away from any city.

This is a “fact”, you say? Provably so?

Fair point, I've edited my commentary.