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College Football Games and Crime

File(s)
cheri_wp109.pdf (437.21 KB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/74600
Collections
Cornell Higher Education Research Institute (CHERI)
ILR Working Papers
Author
Rees, Daniel I.
Schnepel, Kevin T.
Abstract

There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence that college football games can lead to aggressive and destructive behavior by fans. However, to date, no empirical study has attempted to document the magnitude of this phenomenon. We match daily data on offenses from the NIBRS to 26 Division I-A college football programs in order to estimate the relationship between college football games and crime. Our results suggest that the host community registers sharp increases in assaults, vandalism, arrests for disorderly conduct, and arrests for alcohol-related offenses on game days. Upsets are associated with the largest increases in the number of expected offenses. These estimates are discussed in the context of psychological theories of fan aggression.

Date Issued
2008-01-01
Keywords
college football
•
crime
•
fans
•
aggression
•
violent behavior
•
empirical study
Rights
Required Publisher Statement: Published by the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute, Cornell University.
Type
article

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