Teenage Daughters as a Cause of Divorce

Jan Kabátek () and David Ribar
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Jan Kabátek: Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research, The University of Melbourne; ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course; IZA Institute of Labor Economists; CentER, Tilburg University; and Netspar, https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/display/person761978
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Jan Kabátek

Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series from Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne

Abstract: Evidence from the U.S. that couples with daughters are more likely to divorce than couples with sons has not been found for other Western countries. Using 1995-2015 Dutch marriage registry data, we show that daughters are associated with higher divorce risks, but only when they are 13 to 18 years old. There are no detectable gender differences before or after those ages. These age-specific findings are at odds with son-preference and selection explanations for differences in divorce risks. Instead, the findings point to explanations which involve family relationship dynamics associated with teenage sons and daughters. We find supporting evidence of relationship explanations in supplemental analyses of Dutch survey data. We also find that teenage daughters are associated with higher divorce in the U.S. in analyses of the Current Population Survey Marriage and Fertility Supplements.

Keywords: Marriage; divorce; gender; son preference; Netherlands; registry data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J13 J16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 88pp
Date: 2017-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Teenage Daughters as a Cause of Divorce (2017)
Working Paper: Teenage Daughters as a Cause of Divorce (2017)
Working Paper: Teenage Daughters as a Cause of Divorce (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iae:iaewps:wp2017n26

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