Ugly people commit more crime says two economists

[cynatnite]

Not only are physically unattractive teenagers likely to be stay-at-homes on prom night, they're also more likely to grow up to be criminals, say two economists who tracked the life course of young people from high school through early adulthood.

"We find that unattractive individuals commit more crime in comparison to average-looking ones, and very attractive individuals commit less crime in comparison to those who are average-looking," claim Naci Mocan of the University of Colorado and Erdal Tekin of Georgia State University.

Mocan and Tekin analyzed data from a federally sponsored survey of 15,000 high-schoolers who were interviewed in 1994 and again in 1996 and 2002. One question asked interviewers to rate the physical appearance of the student on a five-point scale ranging from "very attractive" to "very unattractive."

These economists found that the long-term consequences of being young and ugly were small but consistent. Cute guys were uniformly less likely than averages would indicate to have committed seven crimes including burglary and selling drugs, while the unhandsome were consistently more likely to have broken the law.

Very attractive high school girls were less likely to commit six of the seven crimes, while those rated unattractive were more likely to have done six of seven, controlling for personal and family characteristics known to be associated with criminal behavior.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/16/AR2006021602039_pf.html

[Warpy]

1. Ugly is as ugly does

but most ugly looking people are completely honest.

I hate it when stories like this come out. Look at the bland looks of our true monsters, from Stupid through the executive suites to boardrooms to the clients of VIP airports across the country. They're all placid and conventional looking, but they're the biggest thieves in history.

Look at the average televangelist or megachurch preacher. They all look conventionally pleasant, but they're the biggest liars the world has ever seen.

Look at the present administration. A few of them are atrractive but most are at least ordinary looking with a handful of major exceptions. These are the biggest thieves, liars, murderers (given time), and cheaters the world has ever known.

If one concentrates only on petty crime, I'm sure that article would ring true. People who have no chance of getting by on looks, personality and/or family connections often have to turn to petty crime. However, if you're going to look at the worst crimes, don't look for ugly people to be the perpetrators. The attractive commit the largest crimes.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. exactly what you said Warpy!

I'd bet they didn't include embezzlement or other corporate crimes in that list.

[cynatnite]

3. Excellent point!

The article didn't sound right. It's like saying since I'm not attractive I'm more likely to go commit a crime. Those that are can do well based on their looks.

Plus, these people used their own judgment of what was attractive and what wasn't. Isn't that all in the eye of the beholder? :shrug: Go figure.

[kenny blankenship]

4. Wouldn't it make more sense, from the point of view of prevention

if we just threw them in jail before they could go on their ugly-fueled crime sprees?

You know, for a society that increasingly insists that the poor pay the full price for their "poor life choices", without assistance from others, and that criminals from abusive backgrounds be shown no mercy in our courts, and that pregnant women be forced to carry out their inadvertant pregnancies to term, we are strangely eager to believe in the absence of free will in other contexts.

Or if not the complete absence of free will then the strong predictability and even programmability of behavior of aggregates of populations.

[sasha031]

5. well that could explain, bush, cheny, rumsfield, ken lay

and the entire cabal...the christina taliban are very scary looking too.

I've always thought Democrats far more attractive.

[seabeyond]

6. or.... does the attractive tend to get away iwth crime more readily

i know that i have gotten out of about all things i am in trouble for, including breaking law,... tickets, cause i use looks, confidence,charm, wink. i think this is a proven study the attractive are not punished or as harshly punished....????

just saying

[SPKrazy]

7. Perhaps, If This Is Even True, The Real Issue Is How Society Treats Those

It finds "unattractive"

Does it give them the same options as someone that is attractive by societal definitions?

Does it treat them the same?

Are less attractive kids picked on more?

Are less attractive kids given the same level of attention by teachers, role model figures, and other kids?

Are they made to feel "less than" because of their outer appearance?

Etc.

My guess is that if this story is true, then the real fault is of society and it's treatment of people based on superficial measures such as physical attractiveness.

this is a sad statement on society.

[AbbyR]

13. Bingo...that's exactly what I thought

We are cruel to the ugly, the different, those we consider less than perfect. My husband used to call it the green monkey syndrome - monkeys will destroy those who are different. Maybe the creationists are right, because if they aren't, we surely have not evolved very far.

[SPKrazy]

17. We haven't evolved very far!

The drives that dominate us are really still not much different than they were when man first appeared on the scene.

They are dressed up prettier (sometimes) but they are still there. Not that drives are bad, but a higher actualization has to transcend drives to some extent (If you follow Maslow's ideas you can't transcend until your basic needs and other needs are met. Until we as a culture/society, make sure that every person's basic needs are met, we won't evolve as a society in a way that isn't just more technologically advanced)

Some of the other points here on this thread are very valid as well.

The idea that "attractive people get away with things" is very true, and fits into the general thesis that "unattractive people" are treated differently which explains how they might be more likely to commit crimes, but it adds the idea that they aren't the only ones committing crimes, they may be the only ones getting caught and punished.

[Cats Against Frist]

20. Agreed -- that's the real issue

I've been studying the personals on Craigslist, as of late, for research. I'm unhappily partnered, but not looking for anyone. I recently found an ad for a man looking for a woman, where the ad emphasized how compassionate the man was, how into social justice he was, and how he was an anarchist, and opposed to "capitalist" bullshit. However, in his ad, he emphasized, twice, that he was "attractive" and that he was looking for an "attractive" partner. I'm about to enter into a dialogue with him, as soon as I can haul my ass off of DU.

The fact is, that physical attractiveness is no different from any other hierarchy that is established to stratify society. I'm sure that people who are considered unattractive commit more crimes -- but not because they're ugly, but because they're discriminated against and marginalized. I also think that poor genetics might have something to do with it, but I can't be too sure about that.

Anytime that anyone posts about this, on DU, the bod squad shows up and waxes indignant about how "sexual attraction" is so important. Sexual attraction is a CONSTRUCT, and, I believe that, outside of a few biological indicators, that most ideas of "chemistry" and "romance" are also constructs. What is considered "beautiful" also varies from culture to culture, and is in no way consistent, and has not been consistent, over time.

And this is one area where, I personally think, liberals are far less progressive than some red-state Republicans -- at least rural-type Republicans. Seems like, in rura areas, people are far more accomodating toward physical imperfection, and certain sterotypes are inapplicable. It's something that no one wishes to address, but it's no less a problem than any other kind of discrimination.

[AbbyR]

22. Sexual attraction?

"Anytime that anyone posts about this, on DU, the bod squad shows up and waxes indignant about how "sexual attraction" is so important."

I don't think I'm ugly, by any means, particularly for a 55 year old woman, but my husband (of 30 years) has always said that the sexiest thing about me is my brain. And I've ALWAYS considered it a great compliment.

[Misunderestimator]

8. Right.... like this guy?

[SmokingJacket]

9. What a stupid study...

Is it trying to justify our preoccupation with looks?

Good looking people are hired more often for jobs and are in general showered with lots of positive attention. Why commit a crime if everyone wants to be your friend?

Plus... a life of poverty and poor health care is hard on the looks, and does nothing to advance your place in society.

I can't believe this was federally sponsored. What do they think they can possibly do with this information? Screen out future criminals based on looks? Hand out makeup to prevent crime??? It doesn't even make an attempt to determine cause and effect.

The only thing studies like this can be used for is to justify discrimination, IMHO.

[ThoughtCriminal]

10. Ugly people get convicted - Beautiful People get away with it

White collar crime - which does far more economic harm is probably more common among attractive people who are more likely to get promoted above their actual competance.

The hold-out juror in former Zrizona Govenor Fife Symington III's fraud trial told other jurrors that she did not think a handsome man like that would commit those crimes. Hmmm, well I don't think her eyesight was that keen either.

[madaboutharry]

11. This sounds plain stupid.

I honestly think if someone went through America's prisons and evaluated the "attractiveness" of inmates, I would venture to say that most are very average and ordinary looking people, no different looking than the crowds you would see at the mall. I have also read studies that assert that very attractive people are prone to sociopathy. So there.

[devilgrrl]

12. Cool! Excellent reason to make fun of them more!!!!!

Awesome! Let's rip on the ugly! :sarcasm:

[Gabi Hayes]

14. is this ugly?

[Rex]

Predicting the future by reading facial curves and lines is

retarded and regressive. Subjective testing means nothing. That's why these guys are economists and not cultural/social anthropologists. Stick to economics, morons.

[AnneD]

15. I agree...

look at Cheney, his snarl has become more pronounced. And Condi, dang, the bytch be ugly. And Bush, mean spirited and parsimonious. All of the folks in this administration have had their souls become reflected in their features.

[Nikki Stone 1]

16. Ugly people tend to become economists

Except for Paul Krugman. :)

:joking:

[B Calm]

19. HA HA HA

[mtnsnake]

18. Makes perfect sense to me. Ugly people have a lot less to lose so they

tend to take more chances and then end up getting into more trouble for their efforts.

That's why you should NEVER fight anyone who's ugly. They don't have anything to lose, or anything to risk from a physical viewpoint, so they'd love nothing more than to knock out a few of your teeth to make you look more like them!

okay okay, j/k :evilgrin:

[shance]

21. Wow. Now they're aiming their propaganda guns at ugly people?

These racist, hateful individuals will do anything to harm others they don't like.

Hitler is smiling very proudly down on his worshippers.