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Home alone: Schooling and the effect of child access prevention laws on juvenile firearm-related homicide

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  • Niekamp, Paul
  • Ketterling, Lyndsey

Abstract

How do the effects of Child Access Prevention (CAP) laws interact with juvenile supervision? Previous work finds that CAP laws reduce juvenile firearm-related homicide. However, little is known about the interacting role of child supervision and schooling. Using monthly data from the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports, we estimate the heterogeneous effects of CAP laws across variation in juvenile unsupervised time induced by school breaks. Staggered difference-in-differences estimates indicate that CAP laws, particularly negligent storage laws, have a greater effect during school breaks when juveniles are less incapacitated. Analysis using variation in school closure timing for summer break confirms this interaction, demonstrating that the effect of CAP laws, designed to penalize unsupervised juvenile access to firearms, peaks when school incapacitation is lowest.

Suggested Citation

  • Niekamp, Paul & Ketterling, Lyndsey, 2025. "Home alone: Schooling and the effect of child access prevention laws on juvenile firearm-related homicide," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:254:y:2025:i:c:s016517652500254x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2025.112417
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    JEL classification:

    • K4 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior
    • H7 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations
    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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