A test of life history strategy theory as a predictor of criminal violence across 51 nations

Proponents of life history strategy (LHS) theory propose that it is an explanation of intra-societal non-political violence, such as homicide and assault. Criminologists usually prefer a different explanation: variation in national violent crime rates is a function of differences in social–structural characteristics, such as absolute or relative poverty (socioeconomic inequality). We found that national homicide rates and prevalence of muggings...