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The Impact of Social Capital on Crime: Evidence from the Netherlands

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Author Info
Akçomak, Semih () (UNU-MERIT)
Weel, Bas ter () (CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis)

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Abstract

This paper investigates the relation between social capital and crime. The analysis contributes to explaining why crime is so heterogeneous across space. By employing current and historical data for Dutch municipalities and by providing novel indicators to measure social capital, we find a link between social capital and crime. Our results suggest that higher levels of social capital are associated with lower crime rates and that municipalities’ historical states in terms of population heterogeneity, religiosity and education affect current levels of social capital. Social capital indicators explain about 10 percent of the observed variance in crime. It is also shown why some social capital indicators are more useful than others in a robustness analysis.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology in its series UNU-MERIT Working Paper Series with number 042.

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Date of creation: 2008
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Handle: RePEc:dgr:unumer:2008042

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Web page: http://www.merit.unu.edu

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Related research
Keywords: Social capital; Crime; the Netherlands;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Social Norms and Social Capital; Social Networks Economic Anthropology

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This page was last updated on 2009-11-19.

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