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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 007876, BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA.
    • Handle: RePEc:col:000094:007876
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Gaurav Khanna & Carlos Medina & Anant Nyshadham & Jorge Tamayo, 2018. "Formal Employment and Organized Crime: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Colombia," Borradores de Economia 1054, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    2. 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.
    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 & Christian Posso & Jorge A. Tamayo, 2019. "Job Loss, Credit and Crime in Colombia," NBER Working Papers 26313, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Leonardo Fabio Morales & Lina Marcela 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 012163, BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    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. Carlos Medina & Jorge Andrés Tamayo & Christian Posso, 2013. "The Effect of Adult Criminals´ Spillovers On the Likelihood of Youths Becoming Criminals," BORRADORES DE ECONOMIA 010461, BANCO DE LA REPÚBLICA.
    10. Brenig, Mattheus & Proeger, Till, 2016. "Putting a price tag on security: Subjective well-being and willingness-to-pay for crime reduction in Europe," Center for European, Governance and Economic Development Research Discussion Papers 278, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    11. 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.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Quality of Life; Life Satisfaction; Crime.;

    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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