Thread by @annalilharvey

Recently there's been lots of interest in alternatives to law enforcement. Many have also expressed concern about recent increases in violent crime.

So: what non-law enforcement policies/programs have been shown specifically to reduce *violent crime*?

A thread:

First, if you give kids a structured and supervised way to spend their time, you reduce violent crime.

E.g., raising the school dropout age from 16/17 to 18 reduces violent crime arrests for 16-18 yr olds:

mitpressjournals.org/doi/10.1162/RE…

E.g., lengthening the school day reduces violent juvenile crime:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

E.g., giving kids summer jobs, which reduce violent youth crime not only during the period of the summer job, but also afterwards @SasserModestino:

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.100…

E.g. more evidence that summer jobs reduce youth violent crime:

mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.116…

Relatedly, providing for more (civilian) adult supervision for kids on their way to/from school also reduces violent crime @ruchi_econ @IKISarmiento:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Directly restricting kids' ability to engage in certain obvious risky behaviors, like driving at night, reduces violent crime @monicajdeza :

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.100…

Not only giving kids more structure/supervision can reduce violent crimes, but also investing in their human/social capital reduces violent crime.

E.g., more years of school reduce later violent crime:

academic.oup.com/ej/article/125…

E.g, improving the quality of kids' schools reduces later violent crime @ProfDavidDeming:

academic.oup.com/ej/article/125…

E.g., supplementing school with targeted programs to increase kids' social/emotional skills can reduce later violent crime @m_sendhil @haroldpollack:

academic.oup.com/ej/article/125…

Improving the health and safety of kids in their own homes also reduces later violent crime.

E.g. targeted intervention for lead poisoning remediation reduces later violent crime @KSchnepel @BillingsEcon

aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…

E.g., reducing child maltreatment reduces later violent crime @Erdal_Tekin_ :

jhr.uwpress.org/content/47/2/5…

E.g., mitigating income shocks to kids' families post-divorce can reduce later violent crime:

journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.108…

Mitigating short-term family economic insecurity more generally can reduce violent crime, even in the near term:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Relatedly, relief spending during the Great Depression reduced violent crime:

journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/65…

Mitigating the negative economic consequences of leaving school during a severe recession can reduce violent crime @AnnaBindler @s_machin_:

mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.116…

Likewise, mitigating the negative economic consequences of leaving prison in a local context of lower wages can reduce violent crime:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Providing short-term financial support can reduce domestic violence victimization:

aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…

Another study showing short-term economic support reduces domestic violence victimization @a_peterman:

aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…

Short-term financial assistance may be more effective at reducing violent crime when coupled with support for social/emotional capital development @cblatts :

aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…

Likewise for reducing domestic violence victimization:

mitpressjournals.org/doi/full/10.11…

Another series of interventions address substance abuse. Reducing access to alcohol can reduce violent crime.

E.g., age restrictions on access to alcohol reduces violent crime:

mitpressjournals.org/doi/10.1162/RE…

More evidence that age restrictions on access to alcohol reduce violent crime @benconomics @GlenWaddell:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Restrictions on where and when alcohol can be sold reduce violent crime @cirobiderman @jmpmello :

academic.oup.com/ej/article-abs…

More evidence that restricting where/when alcohol can be sold reduces violent crime:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

More evidence that alcohol sale restrictions reduce violent crime:

academic.oup.com/ej/article-abs…

Reducing liquor store/bar concentration in urban neighborhoods not also characterized by residential density reduces violent crime:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

At the individual level, alcohol sobriety monitoring programs can reduce violent crime @gregmidgette @BeauKilmer :

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.100…

Relatedly, increasing access to substance abuse treatment can reduce violent crime @jasonmlindo:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Providing health insurance to enable access to substance abuse treatment reduces violent crime:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

More effective treatment for mental illness reduces violent crime @marcotte_dave:

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.100…

More effective treatment for HIV+ women reduced domestic violence victimization @NWPapageorge:

jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/…

Some effective interventions to reduce violence address neighborhood socio-economic segregation.

E.g., moving kids out of economically disadvantaged neighborhoods reduces violent crime @EricChyn:

aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…

E.g., reducing the geographic concentration of public housing units reduces violent crime:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Drawing school district boundaries to reduce school socioeconomic segregation reduces youth violent crime @BillingsEcon @SteveRo48195125 @ProfDavidDeming:

aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…

Reducing foreclosures in a neighborhood reduces violent crime @jrlacoe:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Likewise, reducing foreclosure-induced vacancy in a neighborhood reduces violent crime:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Not unrelatedly, providing for affordable housing reduces violent crime @ProfEmilyOwens :

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

More daylight can reduce violent crime @jenniferdoleac :

mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.116…

Several papers on gun control policies that reduce violent crime:

Not enacting or repealing Stand Your Ground laws reduces violent crime @cbmclellan:

jhr.uwpress.org/content/52/3/6…

More evidence that Stand Your Ground laws increase violent crime:

jhr.uwpress.org/content/52/3/6…

Reducing access to guns by those convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors reduces intra-family gun homicides @kerri_raissian:

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.10…

https://twitter.com/ProfEmilyOwens/status/1295773329245130752?s=20

Criminal justice reform can reduce violent crime.

E.g., providing alternatives to felony prosecution reduces later convictions for violent crime @Econ_Mike @KSchnepel:

academic.oup.com/restud/advance…

Reducing juvenile incarceration can reduce later violent crime:

academic.oup.com/qje/article-ab…

Decriminalizing marijuana can reduce violent crime:

journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/67…

Decriminalizing marijuana can reduce violent crime especially in counties/states that border Mexico:

academic.oup.com/ej/article-abs…

Statewide DNA databases reduce violent crime @jenniferdoleac:

aeaweb.org/articles?id=10…

What else?

Business improvement districts can reduce violent crime:

academic.oup.com/ej/article-abs…

Reducing traffic can reduce domestic violence victimization:

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

This thread not meant to be comprehensive, but rather just to pull some of these ideas together. Please add to it.