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Which incentives deter crooks? An empirical investigation into the determinants of selected New Zealand crimes

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dc.contributor.author Trendle, Deborah en_NZ
dc.date.copyright 2003-10 en_NZ
dc.identifier.citation Trendle, D. (2003, October). Which incentives deter crooks? An empirical investigation into the determinants of selected New Zealand crimes (Dissertation, Bachelor of Commerce with Honours). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/1225 en
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10523/1225
dc.description.abstract This study investigates the possible determinants of selected reported crimes in New Zealand from 1962 to 2001. Using annual time series data, six offence groups are individually examined, namely homicide, drugs (cannabis), drugs (not cannabis), sex attacks, robbery and burglary. Previous literature indicates that several factors can influence the levels of crime in a nation. They are referred to generally as deterrence, economic, social and demographic factors. A stepwise backward elimination approach (using Multiple Regression Analysis) and General-to-Specific modelling approach (using PcGets) are applied to the general model, which includes a range of potential determinants. Additionally, models are estimated using two-stage least squares, to control for any simultaneity bias between crime and the explanatory variables. The results suggest that the four groups of factors referred to also provide the main determinants of crime in New Zealand. In particular, the previous year's crime rate, the conviction rate and severity of punishment, the proportion of total births that are ex-nuptial, and the proportion of youth in the population have a significant influence across a majority of the crimes investigated. However, wage, unemployment, divorce and social welfare payments also have a significant effect on some of the offence groups examined in this study. en_NZ
dc.subject possible determinants en_NZ
dc.subject crimes in New Zealand en_NZ
dc.subject 1962 to 2001 en_NZ
dc.subject annual time series data en_NZ
dc.subject offence groups en_NZ
dc.subject homicide en_NZ
dc.subject drugs en_NZ
dc.subject cannabis en_NZ
dc.subject drugs not cannabis en_NZ
dc.subject sex attacks en_NZ
dc.subject robbery and burglary en_NZ
dc.subject previous year's crime rate en_NZ
dc.subject conviction rate en_NZ
dc.subject severity of punishment en_NZ
dc.subject total births that are ex-nuptial en_NZ
dc.subject proportion of youth in the population en_NZ
dc.subject.lcsh HF Commerce en_NZ
dc.subject.lcsh HF5601 Accounting en_NZ
dc.subject.lcsh HC Economic History & Conditions en_NZ
dc.subject.lcsh HN Social history & conditions. Social problems. Social reform en_NZ
dc.subject.lcsh H Social Sciences (General) en_NZ
dc.subject.lcsh HB Economic Theory en_NZ
dc.title Which incentives deter crooks? An empirical investigation into the determinants of selected New Zealand crimes en_NZ
dc.type Dissertation en_NZ
dc.description.version Unpublished en_NZ
otago.bitstream.pages 62 en_NZ
otago.date.accession 2006-10-06 en_NZ
otago.school Economics en_NZ
thesis.degree.discipline Economics en_NZ
thesis.degree.name Bachelor of Commerce with Honours
thesis.degree.grantor University of Otago en_NZ
thesis.degree.level Honours Dissertations en_NZ
otago.interloan yes en_NZ
otago.openaccess Abstract Only
dc.identifier.eprints 426 en_NZ
otago.school.eprints Economics en_NZ
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