Attempts to modify the future costs of criminal behavior (e.g., an increase in criminal penalties) may have little effect on young people who discount their future. …The anticipation of early death, in particular, may help to explain the fearless nature of some offenders in the face of crime’s potential costs, including legal consequences and long-term disadvantage but also immediate physical danger.
That’s Brezina, Tekin and Topalli reviewing the evidence on whether anticipated early death is a driver of youth crime and risky behavior (in the U.S.). This sounds eminently testable using the growing ex-combatant and micro-level war data in Africa.
2 Responses
Thanks for bringing this up. I just read an article written by a San Diego criminal defense attorneys and it say that you are in fact correct and these assumptions hold some weight with actual statistics. It was an interesting read too.
Fatalism has been cited as a driver of risky sexual behaviour in Africa, too, which leads to HIV/AIDS. (I don’t have the study in front of me now, unfortunately.)