IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/coecpo/v39y2021i4p719-736.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Detecting a copycat effect in school shootings using spatio‐temporal panel count models

Author

Listed:
  • Karsten Schweikert
  • Manuel Huth
  • Mark Gius

Abstract

School shootings are often motivated by the perpetrators' desire for media attention and notoriety. As school shootings receive intense regional and national media coverage, a high likelihood for copycat attacks can be expected. We investigate whether a copycat effect can be detected in US state‐level school shooting data from 1990 to 2017. We do so by estimating spatio‐temporal panel count models and control for socio‐economic characteristics, as well as state and Federal gun control laws. Positive spatial and temporal dependence indicate that the risk for additional school shootings in the same and neighboring states increases after the initial attack.

Suggested Citation

  • Karsten Schweikert & Manuel Huth & Mark Gius, 2021. "Detecting a copycat effect in school shootings using spatio‐temporal panel count models," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(4), pages 719-736, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:coecpo:v:39:y:2021:i:4:p:719-736
    DOI: 10.1111/coep.12532
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/coep.12532
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/coep.12532?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christopher F Baum & Mark E. Schaffer & Steven Stillman, 2003. "Instrumental variables and GMM: Estimation and testing," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 3(1), pages 1-31, March.
    2. Maya Rossin-Slater & Molly Schnell & Hannes Schwandt & Sam Trejo & Lindsey Uniat, 2020. "Local exposure to school shootings and youth antidepressant use," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(38), pages 23484-23489, September.
    3. Luca, Michael & Malhotra, Deepak & Poliquin, Christopher, 2020. "The impact of mass shootings on gun policy," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    4. Hansen, Lars Peter, 1982. "Large Sample Properties of Generalized Method of Moments Estimators," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(4), pages 1029-1054, July.
    5. M Ensar Yesilyurt & J Paul Elhorst, 2017. "Impacts of neighboring countries on military expenditures," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 54(6), pages 777-790, November.
    6. Patrick Sevestre & Laszlo Matyas, 2008. "The Econometrics of Panel Data," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00279977, HAL.
    7. Wooldridge, Jeffrey M., 1997. "Multiplicative Panel Data Models Without the Strict Exogeneity Assumption," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 13(5), pages 667-678, October.
    8. Blundell, Richard & Griffith, Rachel & Windmeijer, Frank, 2002. "Individual effects and dynamics in count data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 113-131, May.
    9. Lambert, Dayton M. & Brown, Jason P. & Florax, Raymond J.G.M., 2010. "A two-step estimator for a spatial lag model of counts: Theory, small sample performance and an application," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 241-252, July.
    10. Benjamin M. Blau & Devon H. Gorry & Chip Wade, 2016. "Guns, laws and public shootings in the United States," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(49), pages 4732-4746, October.
    11. John Mullahy, 1997. "Instrumental-Variable Estimation Of Count Data Models: Applications To Models Of Cigarette Smoking Behavior," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 79(4), pages 586-593, November.
    12. Anandasivam Gopal & Brad N Greenwood, 2017. "Traders, guns, and money: The effects of mass shootings on stock prices of firearm manufacturers in the U.S," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(5), pages 1-29, May.
    13. Mark Gius, 2018. "The effects of state and Federal gun control laws on school shootings," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(5), pages 317-320, March.
    14. Hausman, Jerry & Hall, Bronwyn H & Griliches, Zvi, 1984. "Econometric Models for Count Data with an Application to the Patents-R&D Relationship," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(4), pages 909-938, July.
    15. J. Elhorst, 2010. "Applied Spatial Econometrics: Raising the Bar," Spatial Economic Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 9-28.
    16. Brodeur, Abel & Yousaf, Hasin, 2019. "The Economics of Mass Shootings," IZA Discussion Papers 12728, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Abouk, Rahi & Adams, Scott, 2013. "School shootings and private school enrollment," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 118(2), pages 297-299.
    18. Matthew Lang, 2013. "Firearm Background Checks and Suicide," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 123(12), pages 1085-1099, December.
    19. David Roodman, 2009. "A Note on the Theme of Too Many Instruments," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 71(1), pages 135-158, February.
    20. Elhorst, J. Paul, 2008. "Serial and spatial error correlation," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 100(3), pages 422-424, September.
    21. J. Paul Elhorst, 2014. "Dynamic Spatial Panels: Models, Methods and Inferences," SpringerBriefs in Regional Science, in: Spatial Econometrics, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 95-119, Springer.
    22. Roman Liesenfeld & Jean‐François Richard & Jan Vogler, 2017. "Likelihood‐Based Inference and Prediction in Spatio‐Temporal Panel Count Models for Urban Crimes," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(3), pages 600-620, April.
    23. Mark Gius, 2014. "An examination of the effects of concealed weapons laws and assault weapons bans on state-level murder rates," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 265-267, March.
    24. László Mátyás & Patrick Sevestre (ed.), 2008. "The Econometrics of Panel Data," Advanced Studies in Theoretical and Applied Econometrics, Springer, number 978-3-540-75892-1, July-Dece.
    25. Claudia Czado & Holger Schabenberger & Vinzenz Erhardt, 2014. "Non nested model selection for spatial count regression models with application to health insurance," Statistical Papers, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 455-476, May.
    26. Chamberlain, Gary, 1992. "Sequential Moment Restrictions in Panel Data: Comment," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 10(1), pages 20-26, January.
    27. A. R. Pah & J. Hagan & A. L. Jennings & A. Jain & K. Albrecht & A. J. Hockenberry & L. A. N. Amaral, 2017. "Economic insecurity and the rise in gun violence at US schools," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(2), pages 1-6, February.
    28. José L Torrecilla & Lara Quijano-Sánchez & Federico Liberatore & Juan J López-Ossorio & José L González-Álvarez, 2019. "Evolution and study of a copycat effect in intimate partner homicides: A lesson from Spanish femicides," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-26, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Stephanie Glaser & Robert C. Jung & Karsten Schweikert, 2022. "Spatial panel count data: modeling and forecasting of urban crimes," Journal of Spatial Econometrics, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-29, December.
    2. Hayakawa, Kazuhiko, 2019. "Alternative over-identifying restriction test in the GMM estimation of panel data models," Econometrics and Statistics, Elsevier, vol. 10(C), pages 71-95.
    3. Yoshitsugu Kitazawa, 2012. "An improved theoretical ground for the linear feedback model and a new indicator," Discussion Papers 58, Kyushu Sangyo University, Faculty of Economics.
    4. Blundell, Richard & Griffith, Rachel & Windmeijer, Frank, 2002. "Individual effects and dynamics in count data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 113-131, May.
    5. Yoshitsugu Kitazawa, 2010. "A forward demeaning transformation for a dynamic count panel data model," Discussion Papers 39, Kyushu Sangyo University, Faculty of Economics.
    6. Frank Windmeijer, 2006. "GMM for panel count data models," CeMMAP working papers CWP21/06, Centre for Microdata Methods and Practice, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    7. Davis, James C. & Henderson, J. Vernon, 2008. "The agglomeration of headquarters," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 445-460, September.
    8. Barbara ERMINI & Raffaella SANTOLINI, 2013. "Does globalization matter on fiscal decentralization of OECD?," Working Papers 390, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    9. Roger Bivand & Giovanni Millo & Gianfranco Piras, 2021. "A Review of Software for Spatial Econometrics in R," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-40, June.
    10. Yoshitsugu Kitazawa, 2009. "A negative binomial model and moment conditions for count panel data," Discussion Papers 34, Kyushu Sangyo University, Faculty of Economics.
    11. Sheng-Pin Hsueh & Wei-Ming Lee, 2012. "A revisit to the relationship between patents and R&D using empirical likelihood estimation," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 32(2), pages 1208-1214.
    12. Yoshitsugu Kitazawa, 2009. "Equidispersion and moment conditions for count panel data model," Discussion Papers 33, Kyushu Sangyo University, Faculty of Economics.
    13. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/3vl5fe4i569nbr005tctlc8ll5 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Stiebale, Joel, 2016. "Cross-border M&As and innovative activity of acquiring and target firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 1-15.
    15. Morakinyo O Adetutu & Kayode A Odusanya & Eleni Stathopoulou & Thomas G Weyman-Jones, 2023. "Environmental regulation, taxes, and activism," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 75(2), pages 460-489.
    16. Su, Hsin-Ning & Moaniba, Igam M., 2017. "Does innovation respond to climate change? Empirical evidence from patents and greenhouse gas emissions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 49-62.
    17. Jochmans, Koen, 2015. "Multiplicative-error models with sample selection," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 184(2), pages 315-327.
    18. Nesta, Lionel & Vona, Francesco & Nicolli, Francesco, 2014. "Environmental policies, competition and innovation in renewable energy," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 396-411.
    19. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/3vl5fe4i569nbr005tctlc8ll5 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Majid M. Al-Sadoon & Tong Li & M. Hashem Pesaran, 2017. "Exponential class of dynamic binary choice panel data models with fixed effects," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(6-9), pages 898-927, October.
    21. Beneito, Pilar & Rochina-Barrachina, María Engracia & Sanchis, Amparo, 2015. "The path of R&D efficiency over time," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 57-69.
    22. Bertoldi, Paolo & Mosconi, Rocco, 2020. "Do energy efficiency policies save energy? A new approach based on energy policy indicators (in the EU Member States)," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:coecpo:v:39:y:2021:i:4:p:719-736. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/weaaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.