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. 2009 Apr;93(3-4):10.1016/j.jpubeco.2008.09.011.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2008.09.011.

Love, Hate and Murder: Commitment Devices in Violent Relationships

Anna Aizer  1 , Pedro Dal Bó
Affiliations

Love, Hate and Murder: Commitment Devices in Violent Relationships

Anna Aizer et al. J Public Econ. 2009 Apr.

Abstract

Many violent relationships are characterized by a high degree of cyclicality: women who are the victims of domestic violence often leave and return multiple times. To explain this we develop a model of time inconsistent preferences in the context of domestic violence. This time inconsistency generates a demand for commitment. We present supporting evidence that women in violent relationships display time inconsistent preferences by examining their demand for commitment devices. We find that no-drop policies - which compel the prosecutor to continue with prosecution even if the victim expresses a desire to drop the charges - result in an increase in reporting. No-drop policies also result in a decrease in the number of men murdered by intimates suggesting that some women in violent relationships move away from an extreme type of commitment device when a less costly one is offered.

Keywords: Domestic violence; commitment; time inconsistency.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Game Tree
Figure 2
Figure 2
Equilibrium Actions for the Woman
Figure 3
Figure 3
Impact of no-drop policies on arrests for domestic violence
Figure 4
Figure 4
Intimate Homicide Victims by Sex: 1976–1996 National
Figure 5
Figure 5
Intimate Partner Homicide by Sex: 1976–1996 49 Cities
Figure 6
Figure 6
Average number of homicides per city before and after no-drop
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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