Violent Crime in Latin American Cities

Peer Reviewed icon Peer Reviewed
Author
Castillo, José G. ;
Torres, Juan A.
Date issued
Aug 2016
Subject
Crime Rate;
Crime and Violence Prevention;
Victim of Violence;
Citizen Safety;
Homicide;
Delinquency;
Sexual Violence
JEL code
K42 - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
Category
Discussion Papers
In the last two decades, Latin America has been describes as an unsafe and violent region. Nonetheless, such picture is mostly based on homicide rates. Even though homicide is considered the best recorded crime, it does not provide full account of other forms of violent crime. Moreover, a great deal of research on crime throughout the region tends to be descriptive and anecdotal. Misunderstanding the causes of crime and disregarding evidence might induce policy makers to implement ineffective strategies, particularly at the local level. Therefore, based on Social Disorganization Theory, this study explains violent crime across and within selected cities of Latin America.