Taking the problem of colliders seriously in the study of crime: A research note

OBJECTIVES: We provide a brief overview of collider bias and its implications for criminological research. METHODS: Owing to the nature of the topics studied, as well as the common data sources used to carry out much of this research, work in the field may often become vulnerable to a specific methodological problem known as collider bias. Collider bias occurs when exposure variables and outcomes independently cause a third variable, and this variable is included in statistical models. Colliders represent somewhat of a paradox in that there is scholarship discussing the issue, yet it has managed to remain a relatively cryptic threat compared to other sources of bias. RESULTS: We argue that, far from being an obscure concern, colliders almost certainly have pervasive impact in criminal justice and criminology. CONCLUSION: We close by offering a general set of strategies for addressing the challenges posed by collider bias. While there is no panacea, there are better practices, many of which are underutilized in the disciplines that study crime and its attendant topics.