Link to Full Text
"A large literature points out that exposure to criminal victimization
has far-reaching effects on public health. What remains surprisingly
unexplored is [the] role that health shocks play in explaining aggregate
fluctuations in offending. This research finds novel evidence that crime
is sensitive to health shocks. We consider the responsiveness of crime
to a pervasive and common health shock which we argue shifts costs and
benefits for offenders and victims: seasonal allergies. Leveraging daily
variation in city-specific pollen counts, we present evidence that
violent crime declines in U.S. cities on days in which the local pollen
count is unusually high and that these effects are driven by residential
violence. While past literature suggests that property crimes have more
instrumental motives, require planning, and hence are particularly
sensitive to permanent changes in the cost and benefits of crime, we
find that violence may be especially sensitive to health shocks."
No comments:
Post a Comment