Reducing Crime and Violence : Experimental Evidence on Adult Noncognitive Investments in Liberia
The paper shows that self-control, time preferences, and values are malleable in adults, and that investments in these skills and preferences reduce crime and violence. The authors recruited criminally-engaged Liberian men and randomized half to ei...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/04/26252254/reducing-crime-violence-experimental-evidence-adult-noncognitive-investments-liberia http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24222 |
| Summary: | The paper shows that self-control, time
preferences, and values are malleable in adults, and that
investments in these skills and preferences reduce crime and
violence. The authors recruited criminally-engaged Liberian
men and randomized half to eight weeks of group cognitive
behavioral therapy, fostering self-regulation, patience, and
noncriminal values. They also randomized $200 grants. Cash
alone and therapy alone dramatically reduced crime and
violence, but effects dissipated within a year. When cash
followed therapy, however, crime and violence decreased by
as much as 50 percent for at least a year. They hypothesize
that cash reinforced therapy's lessons by prolonging
practice and self-investment. |
|---|