The Intergenerational Costs of Crime: Evidence from Maternal Victimization in Brazil

Martin Foureaux Koppensteiner and Livia Menezes ()
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Livia Menezes: University of Birmingham

No 18413, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: We study the causal effect of maternal criminal victimization on child health using linked police reports and birth records from Brazil. Focusing on robbery and theft - everyday crimes not involving physical injury - we show that victimization during pregnancy increases low birthweight by 6.9 percentage points, with effects particularly pronounced among socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers. These effects are comparable in magnitude to those documented for physical assaults, indicating that stress and economic disruption alone adversely affect fetal development. We also document persistent effects, including elevated hospitalization and ICU admission rates in early childhood, pointing to significant intergenerational costs.

Keywords: victimization; crime; birth outcomes; health investments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 J13 K42 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-03
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18413

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