Arbeitspapier

Weather and crime: Cautious evidence from South Africa

South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world. This paper examines the effect of weather shocks on various types of crime. Using a 12-year panel data set at monthly resolution on the police ward level, we observe a short-term effect of temperatures on violent crime, supporting the heat-aggression link suggested by psychological research. Furthermore, we find evidence for a subtle medium-term effect of weather on crime via droughts and agricultural income, which is in line with the economic theory of crime. Yet, we also emphasize often neglected but well-documented limitations to the interpretability of weather data and weather-induced mechanisms. Recognizing these limitations, we conclude with a cautious interpretation of our findings to inform police deployment strategies.

ISBN
978-3-96973-101-7
Sprache
Englisch

Erschienen in
Series: Ruhr Economic Papers ; No. 940

Klassifikation
Wirtschaft
Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models: Panel Data Models; Spatio-temporal Models
Economywide Country Studies: Africa
Climate; Natural Disasters and Their Management; Global Warming
Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
Thema
South Africa
weather
crime
income shocks

Ereignis
Geistige Schöpfung
(wer)
Brüderle, Mirjam Anna
Peters, Jörg
Roberts, Gareth
Ereignis
Veröffentlichung
(wer)
RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung
(wo)
Essen
(wann)
2022

DOI
doi:10.4419/96973101
Handle
Letzte Aktualisierung
10.03.2025, 11:44 MEZ

Datenpartner

Dieses Objekt wird bereitgestellt von:
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Objekttyp

  • Arbeitspapier

Beteiligte

  • Brüderle, Mirjam Anna
  • Peters, Jörg
  • Roberts, Gareth
  • RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung

Entstanden

  • 2022

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