The expensive consequences of crime: a shock for victims and society

The expensive consequences of crime: a shock for victims and society

A new study carried out by Nadine Ketel and Vrije Universityit Amsterdam illuminates the economic consequences of crime. The focus is on the costs and the benefits of social and security policy measures against crime. This comprehensive analysis illustrates the challenges of measuring prevented crime and the associated expenses.

Research combines data from the Dutch police from the 2000s with current labor market data and thus offers a deep insight into the career courses of crime victims over the years after the crime. The results show that the victim's income significantly decreases and many of them get into a greater dependence on social benefits.

economic effects on victims

People particularly precar are affected by the financial losses. The study examines categories such as bodily harm, threat of violence, robberies and burglaries and notes that the financial consequences of violent crimes are more serious. Female victims suffer stronger losses than male. While income in women drops by up to 12.9 %, the decline in men is 8.4 %. The social benefits in women also increase by 6 % compared to 5 % in men.

The inequalities found could be explained by various behaviors on the labor market. A historical analysis also shows that women in London were less often condemned. In the Netherlands, the indirect costs of crime, in particular the loss of income in the first year after victimization, amount to around 72 million euros.

political recommendations and social inequalities

The study calls for political measures, which include prevention by education, improving the information by the police and the judiciary as well as effective sacrificial aid. Statistical analyzes of the victims of violence show that they often come from disadvantaged population groups, with young people being more likely to become victims of crime. Above all, there is a clear connection between youth unemployment and crime.

The research work by Anna Bindler, the professor of applied microeconomics is at the German Institute for Economic Research and the University of Potsdam, is a unique perspective in Germany. Your important contributions to science were awarded the "Science Prize victim protection" in 2023. Uni-potsdam.de

For further information on crime and their social and economic aspects, we refer to the comprehensive statistics of ec.europa.eu . There are valuable data that illustrate the dimensions of the topic.