The great crime recovery: Crimes against women during, and after, the COVID-19 lockdown in Mexico

Lauren Hoehn-Velasco, Adan Silverio-Murillo and Jose Roberto Balmori de la Miyar
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Jose Roberto Balmori-de-la-Miyar

Economics & Human Biology, 2021, vol. 41, issue C

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 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I14 I15 J12 J16 J18 K4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:41:y:2021:i:c:s1570677x21000150

DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2021.100991

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