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Homicides and the Age of Criminal Responsibility: A Density Discontinuity Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Francisco J.M Costa
  • João S. De Faria
  • Felipe S. Iachan
  • Bárbara Caballero

Abstract

We employ a density discontinuity design to evaluate the deterrence effect of more severe punishments around the legal age of criminal responsibility in Brazil. Motivated by the criminology literature, we propose a novel proxy based on the inherent risk underlying criminal activities. Using violent death rates as a proxy for an individual’s involvement in violent crime, we find no discernible deterrence effects. We additionally study arrest data from the country’s third most populous state, Rio de Janeiro, and discuss the advantages of our proxy in light of potential underreporting biases from using criminal records.

Suggested Citation

  • Francisco J.M Costa & João S. De Faria & Felipe S. Iachan & Bárbara Caballero, 2018. "Homicides and the Age of Criminal Responsibility: A Density Discontinuity Approach," Economía Journal, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association - LACEA, vol. 0(Fall 2018), pages 59-92, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:col:000425:016954
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    Cited by:

    1. Marcelo Castro & Cesar Tirso, 2023. "The impacts of the age of majority on the exposure to violent crimes," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 64(2), pages 983-1023, February.
    2. Leonardo Rosa & Raphael Bruce & Natália Sarellas, 2022. "Effects of school day time on homicides: The case of the full-day high school program in Pernambuco, Brazil," Working Papers 16, Instituto de Estudos para Políticas de Saúde.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Crime; deterrence; homicide; legal majority age;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • 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
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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