Crime in Europe: Causes and Consequences

Abstract

1 Introduction.- 2 Descriptive Evidence on Magnitude and Development of Crime in Europe.- 2.1 Data Sources and Problems of Measurement.- 2.2 Crime in its Various Dimensions.- 2.3 Crime and Potential Factors of Crime.- 3 Socio-economic Causes, Interactions and Consequences of Crime.- 3.1 Plan of the Survey.- 3.2 Research on Causes and Interactions of Crime.- 3.2.1 Social Disorganisation Theory.- 3.2.2 Lifestyle / Routine Activity Theory.- 3.2.3 Economic Rational Choice Theory.- 3.2.4 Differential Association / Social Learning Theory.- 3.2.5 Social Control Theory.- 3.2.6 Self-control Theory.- 3.2.7 Strain Theory.- 3.2.8 Interactional Theory.- 3.2.9 Wealth, Economic Growth and Economic System.- 3.2.10 Poverty and Inequality.- 3.2.11 Labour Market.- 3.2.12 Social Security.- 3.2.13 Family.- 3.2.14 Peers and Gangs.- 3.2.15 Social Class.- 3.2.16 Mobility and Community Change.- 3.2.17 Age, Gender and Nationality / Race.- 3.2.18 Urbanity.- 3.2.19 Law Enforcement.- 3.2.20 Private Crime Prevention.- 3.2.21 Media.- 3.2.22 Religion / Religiosity.- 3.2.23 Weather.- 3.3 The Impact of Crime on Economic Performance.- 3.3.1 On the Importance of Bi-Directional Crime Models.- 3.3.2 Labour Market Outcomes.- 3.3.3 Location Decisions and Crime.- 3.3.4 Costs of Crime.- 3.3.5 Drug Abuse.- 3.3.6 Corruption and Organised Crime.- 3.4 Summary of Crime Related Indicators.- 4 Development of a Methodological Framework for the Empirical Analysis of Crime.- 4.1 The Methodology.- 4.1.1 Criminometrics.- 4.1.2 A Real-World Example Using Data from EU Member States.- 4.2 The Parameterised Model.- 4.2.1 General Framework.- 4.2.2 Construction of Factors of Regional Criminality and of Leading Criminality Indicators.- 4.2.3 Identification of Criminality Indicators of Economic Performance.- 5 Criminometric Results on Causes and Consequences of Crime in Europe.- 5.1 Data Availability.- 5.1.1 Socio-economic Data.- 5.1.2 Crime Data.- 5.2 Empirical Results Based on National Data.- 5.2.1 Causes of Crime.- 5.2.2 The Impact of Crime on Economic Performance.- 5.3 Empirical Results Based on Regional Data.- 5.3.1 Causes of Crime.- 5.3.2 Consequences of Crime.- 6 Conclusions.- Results Known from the Scientific Literature.- Data and Methods.- Causes of Crime.- Consequences of Crime.- Interpretation of Results, Policy Conclusions.- References.