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Education and Youth Crime: a Review of the Empirical Literature

Author

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  • Rud, I
  • Van Klaveren, C.
  • Groot, W. and Maassen van den Brink, H.

Abstract

This paper provides a systematic literature review on the relationship between education and criminal behavior of young people, using the Technology of Skill Formation (Cunha & Heckman, 2007) as a theoretical framework. The nature of youth crime is different than the nature of adult crime. We analyze studies that evaluate childhood and adolescence interventions and studies that examine the effects between education and criminal behavior of young people. The former suggests a link between education and youth crime. The latter shows that education reduces the probability of criminal behavior in adolescence and young adulthood, whereas early criminal involvement is likely to have a negative impact on educational attainment. The underlying mechanisms of these effects are generally not identified and can combine different components, such as incapacitation effects, skill acquisition and peer effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Rud, I & Van Klaveren, C. & Groot, W. and Maassen van den Brink, H., 2013. "Education and Youth Crime: a Review of the Empirical Literature," Working Papers 48, Top Institute for Evidence Based Education Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:tir:wpaper:48
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Åslund, Olof & Grönqvist, Hans & Hall, Caroline & Vlachos, Jonas, 2018. "Education and criminal behavior: Insights from an expansion of upper secondary school," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 178-192.
    3. Marina Cavalieri & Massimo Finocchiaro Castro & Calogero Guccio, 2020. "Does the Fish Rot from the Head? Organised Crime and Educational Outcomes in Southern Italy," Working papers 97, Società Italiana di Economia Pubblica.
    4. Costa, Rui & Machin, Stephen, 2016. "Crime, compulsory schooling laws and educationAuthor-Name: Bell, Brian," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 214-226.
    5. Tony Beatton & Michael P. Kidd & Stephen Machin & Dipa Sarkar, 2016. "Larrikin youth: new evidence on crime and schooling," CEP Discussion Papers dp1456, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    6. Beatton, Tony & Kidd, Michael P. & Machin, Stephen & Sarkar, Dipanwita, 2018. "Larrikin youth: Crime and Queensland's Earning or Learning reform," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 149-159.
    7. Cavalieri, Marina & Finocchiaro Castro, Massimo & Guccio, Calogero, 2023. "Organised crime and educational outcomes in Southern Italy: An empirical investigation," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    8. Aoki, Yu, 2014. "More Schooling, Less Youth Crime? Learning from an Earthquake in Japan," IZA Discussion Papers 8619, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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