Ugly people more likely to commit crimes, study shows
Researchers cite economic reasons as well
By Ahmed Shihab-Eldin
Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
A recent study analyzing crime patterns has given a new meaning to the phrase "if looks could kill."
The new study titled "Ugly Criminals" conducted by economics professors Naci Mocan of the University of Colorado and Erdal Tekin of Georgia State University found that uglier people, repeatedly slighted by a superficial society, have a higher propensity to commit crime.
Mocan and Tekin found supporting evidence to recent studies showing that unattractive men and women are less likely to be hired by potential employees, generally earn less money than more attractive people and ultimately are at a disadvantage, which are key factors that compel a person to break the law.
The researchers tracked the lives of 15,000 high school teenagers through early adulthood in separate surveys from 1994, 1996 and 2002, finding that unattractive individuals committed more crimes - including damaging property, burglary, robbery and drug-related offenses - than attractive individuals.
Mocan cited recent economic studies that emphasized a relationship between how students are treated in high school and their success in the marketplace, ultimately linking those factors to potential to commit crime.
"The study shows that the quality of schooling that these individuals are receiving according to beauty is influencing the extent of their human capital when they enter the labor market after school," Mocan said.
Research from the study indicates attractive students receive preferential treatment from teachers because attractive students are perceived to be more intelligent, in effect, equating to higher test scores and greater academic opportunities, according to Mocan.
"Another piece of research shows that teacher's expectations depend a lot on how students are treated or motivated," Mocan said. "It affects the entire quality of learning for those individuals, and this creates handicaps."
Mocan suggested that people need to be more sensitive to children's self-esteem issues, but his research did not explicitly hunt for a direct link between self-esteem and crime.
