The effect of school starting age policy on crime: Evidence from U.S. microdata

John McAdams ()

Economics of Education Review, 2016, vol. 54, issue C, 227-241

Abstract: Does school starting age policy have an impact on the propensity of individuals to commit crime as adults? Using microdata from the U.S. Census, we find that a higher school starting age cutoff leads to lower rates of incarceration among both those directly affected by the laws and those only indirectly affected. However, the reduction in incarceration among those directly affected is smaller in magnitude, implying that the delay itself was harmful with respect to crime outcomes. These findings provide further support for early childhood interventions influencing future criminal activity.

Keywords: School starting age; Education; Crime (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I20 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoedu:v:54:y:2016:i:c:p:227-241

DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2014.12.001

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