The impact of robbery and theft in the household economy: An exploratory study on data from Lima Metropolitana

Abstract

This research estimates the impact of robbery and theft in the household economies of the victims, according to their socioeconomic background. We analyze the current situation of Lima Metropolitana between 2011 and 2012, focusing on Cercado de Lima, a highly transited area where many people from different socioeconomic backgrounds converge. In this place, there is also a high rate and a high prevalence of robbery and theft. Based on a range of values involved in the average robbery and theft sustained in a standardized inventory of stolen goods, we estimate the percentage of the impact of the felony, such as the time of recovery of the goods that were substracted. This study allows us to conclude that the percentage of the impact of the felony and its recovery time are related to the socioeconomic strata, affecting mainly its lower levels.