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Love on the Rocks: Alcohol Abuse and Domestic Violence in Rural Mexico

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  • Angelucci, Manuela

    (University of Texas at Austin)

Abstract

What causes alcohol abuse and domestic violence and how can we stop them? These behaviors have multiple determinants, making the effects of changes in wife's and husband's income ambiguous. This paper estimates the effects of exogenous changes in wife's and husband's income on husband alcohol abuse and alcohol-induced violence using new data from rural Mexico. A long-lasting 20 dollar monthly increase in wife income decreases husbands' alcohol abuse by 15% and aggressive behavior by 21%; the extra money increase the wife's freedom and security, is spent on individual and household goods, and it crowds out transfers from the husband only for 5% of the wives whose income increases. Alcohol abuse and violence are insensitive to short-term fluctuations in husband's income. These findings suggest that the wife uses her higher income to reduce the consumption of goods that lower her utility, that alcohol abuse responds more to changes in permanent than in temporary income, and that targeting women as recipients of micro-credit or of other welfare programs may have beneficial effects in reducing alcohol dependence and domestic violence.

Suggested Citation

  • Angelucci, Manuela, 2007. "Love on the Rocks: Alcohol Abuse and Domestic Violence in Rural Mexico," IZA Discussion Papers 2706, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2706
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    Cited by:

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    2. Javier Torres & Fiorella Parra & Jorge Rubio, 2018. "Transmisión educativa intergeneracional en el Perú: un cálculo para las generaciones nacidas entre 1950-1989," Revista Economía, Fondo Editorial - Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, vol. 41(81), pages 101-124.
    3. Luis René Cáceres, 2021. "Gender, Employment, and Domestic and External Savings in Guatemala," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 13(6), pages 165-165, June.
    4. Luis Rene Caceres, 2022. "Idle Youth and Macroeconomics in Latin America," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 14(1), pages 1-98, January.
    5. Montenegro, Adriana, 2021. "Violencia de pareja en Bolivia: ¿Previene el trabajo remunerado de las mujeres la violencia en su contra?," Documentos de trabajo 2/2021, Instituto de Investigaciones Socio-Económicas (IISEC), Universidad Católica Boliviana.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    public health; household behavior; Mexico;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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