Crime and local inequality in South Africa

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Demombynes, G; Özler, B
• 署名单位: The World Bank; University of California System; University of California Berkeley
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2003.12.015
• 发表日期: 2005
• 页码: 265-292
• 关键词: crime; INEQUALITY; South Africa

摘要

We examine the effects of local inequality on property and violent crime in South Africa. The findings are consistent with economic theories relating local inequality to property crime and also with sociological theories that imply that inequality leads to crime in general. Burglary rates are 25-43% higher in police precincts that are the wealthiest among their neighbors, suggesting that criminals travel to neighborhoods where the expected returns from burglary are highest. Finally, while we find little evidence that inequality between racial groups fosters interpersonal conflict at the local level, racial heterogeneity itself is highly correlated with crime. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.