Temperature and Interpersonal Violence in Mexico
Abstract:
We estimate the effect of temperature on criminality in Mexico and question conventional wisdom that high temperatures impact human psychology. Using high-frequency data, we find a linear effect of temperatures on criminality, inconsistent with the belief that only high temperatures cause disturbances. A significant share of weather-related crimes can be explained by higher alcohol consumption (9%) and changes in time allocation during weekends (17%). Above all, 28% of weather-related crimes are committed at night, when temperatures are mild, and a third is driven by short-term displacements, causing no additional victim.
Date: 18 October 2017, 17:00 (Wednesday, 2nd week, Michaelmas 2017)
Venue: Nuffield College, New Road OX1 1NF
Speaker: Francois Cohen (University of Oxford)
Organising department: Department of Economics
Part of: Postdoctoral Fellows Seminar
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editors: Erin Saunders, Anne Pouliquen