Deterrence Effect of Stand Your Ground Law on Crime in Eastern US States

摘要

The Castle Doctrine, which states that a person may justifiably use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of an unlawful threat without an obligation to retreat first, is among the most important self-defense regulations in the US. From 2004 to 2009, 24 states passed Stand Your Ground (SYG) Laws to extend the Castle Doctrine to places outside the home, and make other self-defense protections possible. It is clear that SYG makes it easier to use lethal force in self-defense, but its impact on society's security is ambiguous (Cheng and Hoekstra 2012).