Resumen

ORCES, DIANA. Corruption victimization by the police. Rev. cienc. polít. (Santiago) [online]. 2008, vol.28, n.2, pp. 203-208. ISSN 0718-090X.  doi: 10.4067/S0718-090X2008000200010.

Corruption has become one of the most prevalent problems in emerging democracies because it can lead to the erosion of the belief in the legitimacy of the political system. This paper has found that some individual level characteristics are as important as at least one national level characteristic in explaining corruption victimization by the police. Specifically, individuals living in wealthier countries are less likely to be victims of corruption, where as the probability is notably higher for the average citizen in poor countries. Therefore, anti-corruption programs are likely to be most successful when they combine localized action, such as working to professionalize police forces, with broader attempts to increase economic development in poor countries.

Palabras clave : Corruption; police; Latin America; socioeconomic development; public opinion.