JSIT23-02: Violent Victimization, Productivity Interruptions, and the Reinforcement of Social Inequality

While evidence shows an inverse relationship between violent crime levels and measures of social mobility, less is known about the mechanisms that drive this result. This analysis investigates productivity interruptions as a potential link connecting victimization experience and the reinforcement of social inequality. Results show that violent crime leads to signifcantly higher odds of productivity interruptions than property crimes. Similarly, victimization incidents involving frearms or hand weapons are signifcantly more likely to result in productivity interruptions than unarmed ofenses. Victimization processes reinforce inequality through higher odds of productivity interruptions for marginalized or less advantaged segments of the population along dimensions of sex, race/ethnicity, education, and income. Thirty years of data from the National Crime Victimization Survey show consistent losses of work time for victims and members of their households, which lower the base of federally taxable earnings that supports SSA trust funds. Also, reports of problems with work or school tripled from 2008 to 2022 suggesting a growing educational cost of victimization that could have long-term earnings implications.