Social Capital, Trauma, and Crime in the Context of War: The Case of Ukrainian Civilians

• In Event: Social Capital, Crime and Institutions

Abstract

Little is known about the role of social capital and strains in the production of crime in social contexts engulfed in violent conflict. Using survey data collected from random samples of civilians in two large Ukrainian cities impacted by the Donbas war, which has been ongoing in Ukraine since 2014, this research addresses knowledge gaps in the literature by examining the direct and interrelated effects of various types of social capital and war-related trauma on individual involvement in crime. Findings reveal that social capital and war-related traumas interact in complex ways to influence criminal behaviors. This pattern of results highlights the importance of these predictors and suggests the need for further examination of their relationships with crime among vulnerable populations living through the violent horrors of war.

Authors

• Olena Antonaccio, University of Miami

• Ekaterina Botchkovar, Northeastern University

• Anastasiia Timmer, California State University, Northridge

• Lorine Hughes, University of Colorado Denver

• Robert J. Johnson, University of Miami