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An Assessment of How Urban Crime and Victimization Affects Life Satisfaction

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  • Carlos Medina
  • Jorge Andrés Tamayo

Abstract

We assess the effect of the homicide rate, individual´s perception of security in their neighborhood of residence, and of the effect of their having been victimized, on life satisfaction. We find a negative effect of the homicide rate on life satisfaction for the subsample of individuals living in their current houses for at least 10 years or more, who had moved to that place at some point in the past. We also find a positive and robust effect of the perception of security in the households´neighborhood for the whole sample, and for different subsamples considered. Having been victim of an offense is also robustly negatively related to life satisfaction, in particular in the cases where the offense was robbery.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Medina & Jorge Andrés Tamayo, 2011. "An Assessment of How Urban Crime and Victimization Affects Life Satisfaction," Borradores de Economia 640, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdr:borrec:640
    DOI: 10.32468/be.640
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    Cited by:

    1. Gaurav Khanna & Carlos Medina & Anant Nyshadham & Christian Posso & Jorge Tamayo, 2021. "Job Loss, Credit, and Crime in Colombia," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 3(1), pages 97-114, March.
    2. Leonardo Fabio Morales & Lina Cardona-Sosa, 2015. "Calidad de los vecindarios y oferta laboral femenina en un contexto urbano: un caso aplicado a la ciudad de Medellín," Borradores de Economia 868, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    3. Cheng, Zhiming & Smyth, Russell, 2015. "Crime victimization, neighborhood safety and happiness in China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 424-435.
    4. Gaurav Khanna & Carlos Medina & Anant Nyshadham & Jorge Tamayo & Nicolas Torres, 2023. "Formal Employment and Organised Crime: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Colombia," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(654), pages 2427-2448.
    5. Corbacho, Ana & Philipp, Julia & Ruiz-Vega, Mauricio, 2015. "Crime and Erosion of Trust: Evidence for Latin America," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 400-415.
    6. Carlos Medina & Jorge Andrés Tamayo & Christian Posso, 2013. "The Effect of Adult Criminals’ Spillovers On the Likelihood of Youths Becoming Criminals," Borradores de Economia 755, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    7. Carlos Medina & Christian Posso & Jorge Andrés Tamayo, 2011. "Costos de la violencia urbana y políticas públicas: algunas lecciones de Medellín," Borradores de Economia 674, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    8. Mattheus Brenig & Till Proeger, 2018. "Putting a Price Tag on Security: Subjective Well-Being and Willingness-to-Pay for Crime Reduction in Europe," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 145-166, January.
    9. Leonardo Fabio Morales & Lina Cardona-Sosa, 2014. "The Influence of Neighborhood Characteristics on Wages and Labor Supply in an Urban Context: The Case of a Latin-American City," Borradores de Economia 844, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    10. Brenig, Mattheus & Proeger, Till, 2016. "Putting a price tag on security: Subjective well-being and willingness-to-pay for crime reduction in Europe," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 278, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    11. Chenevier, Randall & Piper, Alan T. & Willis, Craig, 2021. "Migration, crime and life satisfaction in Chile: Pre and post-migration evidence," MPRA Paper 106502, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Romero Dario, 2014. "Insecurity or Perception of Insecurity? Urban Crime and Dissatisfaction with Life: Evidence from the Case of Bogotá," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(1), pages 169-208, January.
    13. Carolina Ortega Londoño & Daniel Gómez Mesa & Lina Cardona-Sosa & Catalina Gómez Toro, 2019. "Happiness and Victimization in Latin America," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 935-954, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Quality of Life; Life Satisfaction; Crime.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • K40 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - General
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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