What Causes Intentional Homicide?
Journal of International Development, 2011
Posted: 17 Feb 2012
Date Written: February 16, 2012
Abstract
Latin American and Caribbean countries are world leaders in intentional homicide rates. Our estimates suggest that the intentional homicide rate in the Latin America and Caribbean region is 40 percent higher than the average for the rest of the world. The intentional homicide rate for a group of violent countries (Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Jamaica) is nearly 58 percent higher than the world's average. Utilizing an international panel data set to study the determinants of intentional homicide, we demonstrate that intentional homicide is highly inert, counter-cyclical, declines with development and rises with violence and income inequality.
Keywords: Latin America and Caribbean, intentional homicides, counter-cyclical, violence, life expectancy, human development, income inequality
JEL Classification: O10, K42, C23
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation