How Does Social Protection Influence Cross-National Homicide Rates in OECD Nations?

Abstract

Social protection exhibits a consistent negative association with cross-national homicide rates. However, the specific mechanism through which the two are associated remains untested in spite of competing theoretical claims that include altruism, social control, buffers from market forces, and insulation from the ills associated with poverty. We explore these possible theoretical explanations, focusing on different originating sources (e.g., public or government) of social protection. Using data from nearly all countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for 2010–14, we used ordinary least squares models to estimate these associations. The results indicate that the possible mechanisms through which social protection is associated with homicide are public and both direct and indirect.