Exploring the Emergence of Organized Crime in Rio de Janeiro: An Agent-Based Modeling Approach

This paper focuses on the emergence of criminal activity due to the unmet human needs of those living in Rio\´s favelas. An agent-based model is developed to explore how human needs, environmental factors, and individual attributes impact state-level behaviors. The emergence of organized crime is observed as "common" criminals turn into gang members. The prevention of conflict requires policies that anticipate responses and avoid conflict. By "re-creating" the current environment, we have the ability to potentially predict the onset of violence where it does not yet exist or understand the source of conflict in those areas already in the midst of violence.