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Explaining subjective well-being: The role of victimization, trust, health, and social norms

Douhou, S. & van Soest, A. (2013). Explaining subjective well-being: The role of victimization, trust, health, and social norms. Applied Econometrics, 31(3), pp. 52-78.

Abstract

This paper extends research on the relation between crime and happiness by investigating the impact of serious and less serious crime (i.e. incorrect behavior) on subjective well-being using a representative survey of the Dutch adult population in 2008. We also control for variables reflecting trust, health and social norms, in addition to standard demographic and socio-economic characteristics. We find that people who feel healthy, have more trust in others and have higher social norms are in general happier. We find evidence of an indirect effect of victimization on well-being via trust, health and social norms. The remaining effect of victimization on well-being, keeping trust, social norms, and health constant, is quite weak.

Publication Type: Article
Publisher Keywords: happiness; crime; trust; health; victimization; social norms; fear of crime
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Departments: School of Policy & Global Affairs > Sociology & Criminology
SWORD Depositor:
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