Written by: Lars Højsgaard Andersen

When a man marries, he risks being influenced by more people than just his wife. If the new brother-in-law is a criminal, there is a greater probability that the newly-wed man will also adopt a life of crime. Such is the conclusion from an analysis of the effects of brothers-in-law on crime rates among newly married men. The analysis, which is the first of its kind, shows that a criminal brother-in-law influences criminal behaviour in bridegrooms after marriage.