The Great Crime Recovery: Crimes Against Women During, and After, the COVID-19 Lockdown in Mexico

52 Pages Posted: 29 Sep 2020 Last revised: 4 Feb 2021

See all articles by Lauren Hoehn-Velasco

Lauren Hoehn-Velasco

Georgia State University - Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

Adan Silverio-Murillo

School of Government, Tecnologico de Monterrey

Jose Balmori-de-la-Miyar

University Anahuac Mexico, Business and Economics School

Date Written: September 1, 2020

Abstract

This paper considers whether the COVID-19 stay-at-home order affected crimes targeting women. To answer this question, we use national municipal-level crime data from Mexico's National Public Security System. The NPSS reports sexual crimes, lapses in alimony, domestic violence, and femicides. Using the NPSS, we track monthly changes in crimes targeting women using an event-study design. Our results show that lapses in alimony, sexual crimes, and domestic violence follow a U-shaped trend. Each crime declined during the stay-at-home order, and then rose back to pre-COVID levels by October. Then, we analyze potential mechanisms for the reduction in crimes against women. We find that infection risk, victim-criminal match, and banning the sale of alcohol are related to higher declines in crime.

Keywords: Women; Crime; COVID-19; Mexico; Crimes against women; IPV, Sexual abuse

JEL Classification: K4, J12, J16, J18

Suggested Citation

Hoehn-Velasco, Lauren and Silverio-Murillo, Adan and Balmori-de-la-Miyar, Jose Roberto, The Great Crime Recovery: Crimes Against Women During, and After, the COVID-19 Lockdown in Mexico (September 1, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3701472 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3701472

Lauren Hoehn-Velasco (Contact Author)

Georgia State University - Andrew Young School of Policy Studies ( email )

Department of Economics
35 Broad Street, 6th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303-3083
United States

Adan Silverio-Murillo

School of Government, Tecnologico de Monterrey ( email )

Calle del Puente 222
Mexico City, 04210
Mexico

Jose Roberto Balmori-de-la-Miyar

University Anahuac Mexico, Business and Economics School ( email )

Av de las Torres 131
Olivar de los Padres
Mexico City, Mexico City 01780
Mexico

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
298
Abstract Views
2,678
Rank
210,129
PlumX Metrics