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Learning by Offending: How Do Criminals Learn about Criminal Law?

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  • Arnaud Philippe

Abstract

This paper investigates how criminals learn about criminal laws. It uses a natural experiment in which sentences were drastically increased for a specific type of recidivism in France. In the short run, advertising the reform did not trigger any change in criminal behavior. However, people who had firsthand experience of the reform learned about it and later committed significantly fewer targeted crimes, but the same number of nontargeted crimes. Learning appears to be limited to individuals with direct experience of the law. While codefendants also learned, other criminal peers and defendants attending the same trial for another case did not.

Suggested Citation

  • Arnaud Philippe, 2024. "Learning by Offending: How Do Criminals Learn about Criminal Law?," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 16(3), pages 27-60, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:16:y:2024:i:3:p:27-60
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20210378
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • K14 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Criminal Law
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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