Applied Economics Seminar Series. "The Economic Cost of Rape"
Published: 18 February 2025
26 February 2025. Dr Kristiina Huttunen, Aalto University
Dr Kristiina Huttunen, Aalto University
"The Economic Cost of Rape"
Wednesday, 26 February 2025. 15:00-16:30
Room 141A, Adam Smith Business School Building
Abstract
We estimate the economic impacts of rape using Finnish administrative data. Victims experience a 19% decline in employment, a 26% drop in earnings, and a 13% increase in antidepressant usage compared to otherwise observationally identical women five years post-assault. Rape also causes significant spillover effects to victims’ social networks: female schoolmates suffer worsened mental health after a peer is assaulted, and parents experience significant employment declines. We find that higher clearance rates for rape cases mitigate the impact on victims, indicating potential for positive policy interventions.
Bio
Kristiina Huttunen is an associate professor in economics at Aalto University, Finland. She has extensive knowledge of research with Nordic registry data sets on topics related to both labour economics and economics of crime.
For further information, please contact business-seminar-series@glasgow.ac.uk.
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First published: 18 February 2025