SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF PROPERTY CRIME: THE CASE OF SLOVENIA

The first longitudinal study of this type in Slovenia addresses economic and social causes of crime and tries to determinate their significance in criminal behaviour through development of an empirical model that analyzes criminal behaviour in Slovenia by using time series data for period of 1963 till 2007. Theoretical framework implies that besides institutional environment and social structure economic situation importantly determines the level of crime in society. Econometric analysis uses variables that represent determinants of crime: economic conditions, probability of conviction and, additionally to the basic model, share of young males in the population and dummy variable that represents some of the peculiarities in the transition period in Slovenia. Empirical findings are in accordance with the theoretical framework.