Essays examine the impact of social networks and collective action on growth and other economic outcomes, contributing to understanding of the interaction between economic processes and their social framework.

Overview -- Organizing framework of the study and structure of the report -- Stylized facts about crime and violence in Latin America and the Caribbean -- The transmission of violence across generations and early interventions -- Youth, education, and brain development -- The nexus between...

"The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region has the undesirable distinction of being the world's most violent region, with 24.7 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. The magnitude of the problem is staggering and persistent. Of the top 50 most violent cities in the world, 42 are in LAC. In 2010...