Schools, Neighborhoods, and the Long-Run Effect of Crime-Prone Peers

Stephen Billings and Mark Hoekstra

No 25730, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: This paper examines how elementary-aged peers affect cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes from adolescence to adulthood. We identify effects by exploiting within-school and within-neighborhood variation in the proportion of peers with an arrested parent. Results indicate exposure to these peers reduces achievement and increases antisocial behavior during middle and high school. More importantly, we estimate that a five percentage point increase in school and neighborhood crime-prone peers increases arrest rates at age 19 - 21 by 6.5 and 2.6 percent, respectively. Additional evidence suggests these effects are due to attending school with crime-prone peers, rather than living in the same neighborhood.

JEL-codes: I21 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-law and nep-ure
Note: CH ED
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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