Self-protection, Psychological Externalities, and the Social Dynamics of Fear
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10071568 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Angelo Antoci (0000-0003-3719-0437, University of Sassari), Alessandro Fiori Maccioni (0000-0002-2080-7405, University of Sassari), P L Sacco (0000-0002-5559-2889, IULM University, corresponding author), Mauro Sodini (0000-0002-8237-8941, University of Pisa) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 349-371 |
| Publication date | 2015-08-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Conflict Resolution (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-0027 • E-ISSN: 1552-8766 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022002715596771 |
| OpenAlex | W2161225005 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 42 |
We examine the social dynamics of crime by means of evolutionary game theory, and we model the choice of boundedly rational potential victims to privately self-protect against prospective offenders. Negative externalities from self-protection, as the socially transmitted fear of victimization, can influence the strategic choices of victims even with constant or declining crime rates, and this circumstance may lead to Pareto inefficient equilibria with excessive expenses for private protection. Providing higher levels of public security (or of appropriate social care) financed through discriminatory taxation of private defensive behaviors can prevent crime and reduce superfluous self-protection, thus driving the social dynamics toward a more efficient equilibrium. Public policy can therefore be effective in implementing the social optimum. This article extends previous work by Cressman, Morrison, and Wen by increasing the range of possible dynamics and the scope for public intervention. Consequently, in our model, public policy can deter crime and improve the welfare of victims by addressing the intangible aspects of crime, that is, the social dynamics of fear
Economics · Externality · Microeconomics · Political science · Public economics · Public good · Social dynamics · Social Welfare · Sociology · Welfare · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies · Gambling Behavior and Treatments
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Evolutionary Games in Economics
Fear in the Neighborhoods
Community crime prevention
Why Imitate, and If So, How?
Neighbors as Negatives
What Can Economists Learn from Happiness Research?
Population dynamics from game theory
A psychological perspective on vulnerability in the fear of crime
The Psychology of Fear of Crime. Conceptual and Methodological Perspectives
Fear of Crime
The Effects of “Self-Help” Precautionary Measures on Criminal Victimization and Fear
Local crime as a natural hazard
Urban Policing and the Fear of Crime
The Commodification of Policing
Market Insurance, Self-Insurance, and Self-Protection
Crime and Punishment
The emergence of deontological codes in public administration
Understanding Crime Rates
The Transformation of Policing? Understanding Current Trends in Policing Systems
The New Regulatory State and the Transformation of Criminology
Social Psychology and the Fear of Crime
Policing Before and After the Police
Risk society
Terrorism in the Worlds of Welfare Capitalism
Perceived Risk versus Fear of Crime
Fear of Crime and Constrained Behavior Specifying and Estimating a Reciprocal Effects Model
Fear of Crime in Urban Residential Neighborhoods
Rethinking Social Reactions to Crime
The Gender Gap in Fear
Consumer Culture and the Commodification of Policing and Security
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |