
Open access
Date
2014-06Type
- Working Paper
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
This paper investigates the effect of local crime on well-being in Germany, using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and a novel data set constructed from official police crime statistics, covering both counties and urban districts for the time period between 1994 and 2012. We find that local area crime has a significantly negative impact on life satisfaction, makes residents worry more frequently, and worry more about crime in Germany. In particular, a 1% increase in the crime frequency ratio results in a 0.043 standard deviation decrease in life satisfaction. This effect is driven almost exclusively by violent crimes, while property crimes and other crimes have no significant impact on well-being. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-010173631Publication status
publishedJournal / series
KOF Working PapersVolume
Publisher
KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH ZurichSubject
DEUTSCHLAND (MITTELEUROPA). BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND; STRAFBARE HANDLUNGEN GEGEN ÖFFENTLICHE ORDNUNG UND SICHERHEIT (STRAFRECHT); Crime; CONTRAVENTIONS + CRIMES + OFFENCES (CRIMINAL LAW); WELFARE ECONOMICS; Well-Being; ÜBERTRETUNGEN + VERBRECHEN + VERGEHEN (STRAFRECHT); CRIMINAL OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER AND PUBLIC SECURITY (CRIMINAL LAW); Germany; WOHLFAHRTSÖKONOMIK; GERMANY (CENTRAL EUROPE). FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANYOrganisational unit
03716 - Sturm, Jan-Egbert / Sturm, Jan-Egbert
02525 - KOF Konjunkturforschungsstelle / KOF Swiss Economic Institute
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ETH Bibliography
yes
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