Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/302630 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 17113
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We study spillover effects within co-offending networks by leveraging deaths of co-offenders for causal identification. Our results demonstrate that the death of a co-offender significantly reduces the criminal activities of other network members. We observe a decaying pattern in the magnitude of these spillover effects: individuals directly linked to a deceased offender experience the most significant impact, followed by those two steps away, and then those three steps away. Moreover, we find that the death of a more central co-offender leads to a larger reduction in aggregate crime. We also provide evidence consistent with a new theoretical prediction suggesting that the loss of a co-offender shrinks the future information set of offenders, altering their perceptions of the probability of being convicted and consequently affecting their criminal behavior. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding spillover effects for policymakers seeking to develop more effective strategies for crime prevention.
Subjects: 
networks
crime
key players
exogenous deaths
spillovers
JEL: 
A14
D85
K42
Z13
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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