Credibility of Crime Allegations

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Lee, Frances Xu; Wing Suen
• 署名单位: Loyola University Chicago; University of Hong Kong
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-MICROECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7669
• DOI: 10.1257/mic.20180231
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 220-259
• 关键词: model

摘要

The lack of hard evidence in allegations about sexual misconduct makes it difficult to separate true allegations from false ones. We provide a model in which victims and potential libelers face the same costs and benefits from making an allegation, but the tendency for perpetrators of sexual misconduct to engage in repeat offenses allows semiseparation to occur, which lends credibility to such allegations. Our model also explains why reports about sexual misconduct are often delayed, and why the public rationally assigns less credibility to these delayed reports.