The Environmental Hazard-Crime Relationship in Cross-National Context: Findings Utilizing WHO Mortality and UNODC Homicide Data

• In Event: Green Criminology VI: International and Comparative Perspectives

Abstract

Within green criminology, the relationship between environmental hazards and social problems such as interpersonal violence has been examined with more frequency in the past few years. Much of this research, however, either focuses on a single city or country and/or examines the central question of interest in a cross-sectional design. Seeking to extend the generalizability of the environmental hazard-crime focus, the current effort draws upon the green behaviorism perspective and taps into a suite of environmental negatives and multiple sources of cross-national homicide data. Rather than focusing on the effect of a singular environmental indicator (e.g., temperature) on crime/homicide, the current study collects country-level data concerning particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, temperature, vapor-pressure deficit, and drought severity for the years 2000-2019. Preliminary spatiotemporal results provide support for the theoretical tenants of green behaviorism and help illuminate future research questions addressing the environmental hazard-crime relationship in a longitudinal and comparative perspective.

Author

• Jessie Slepicka, The University of Montana