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Rank, Sex, Drugs, and Crime

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin Elsner
  • Ingo E. Isphording

Abstract

We show that a student’s ordinal ability rank in a high-school cohort is an important determinant of engaging in risky behaviors. Using longitudinal data from representative U.S. high schools, we find a strong negative effect of rank on the likelihood of smoking, drinking, having unprotected sex, and engaging in physical fights. We further provide evidence that these results can be explained by sorting into peer groups and differences in career expectations. Students with a higher rank are less likely to be friends with other students who smoke and drink, while they have higher expectations towards their future educational attainment.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Elsner & Ingo E. Isphording, 2018. "Rank, Sex, Drugs, and Crime," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 53(2), pages 356-381.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:53:y:2018:i:2:p:356-381
    Note: DOI: doi:10.3368/jhr.53.2.0716-8080R
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    Cited by:

    1. Getik, Demid & Meier, Armando N., 2022. "Peer gender and mental health⁎," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 643-659.
    2. Delaney, Judith M. & Devereux, Paul J., 2021. "High School Rank in Math and English and the Gender Gap in STEM," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    3. Francois-Xavier Ladant & Julien Hedou & Paolo Sestito & Falco J. Bargagli-Stoffi, 2023. "What is essential is visible to the eye: Saliency in primary school ranking and its effect on academic achievements," Papers 2302.10026, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2024.
    4. Inoue, Atsushi & Tanaka, Ryuichi, 2024. "The rank of socioeconomic status within a class and the incidence of school bullying and school absence," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    5. Ballatore, Rosario Maria & Paccagnella, Marco & Tonello, Marco, 2020. "Bullied because younger than my mates? The effect of age rank on victimisation at school," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    6. Ashby, Nathan J., 2023. "An examination of peer effects using high school competition realignments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 122-135.
    7. Yu, Han, 2020. "Am I the big fish? The effect of ordinal rank on student academic performance in middle school," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 18-41.
    8. Johansen, Eva Rye, 2021. "Relative age for grade and adolescent risky health behavior," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    9. Ribas, Rafael P. & Sampaio, Breno & Trevisan, Giuseppe, 2020. "Short- and long-term effects of class assignment: Evidence from a flagship university in Brazil," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    10. Petri Böckerman & Mika Haapanen & Christopher Jepsen & Alexandra Roulet, 2021. "School Tracking and Mental Health," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(2), pages 291-345.
    11. Comi, Simona & Origo, Federica & Pagani, Laura & Tonello, Marco, 2021. "Last and furious: Relative position and school violence," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 736-756.
    12. Utteeyo Dasgupta & Subha Mani & Smriti Sharma & Saurabh Singhal, 2022. "Effects of Peers and Rank on Cognition, Preferences, and Personality," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 104(3), pages 587-601, May.
    13. Bertoni, Marco & Nisticò, Roberto, 2023. "Ordinal rank and the structure of ability peer effects," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    14. Patacchini, Eleonora & Fernández, Raquel & Cools, Angela, 2019. "Girls, Boys, and High Achievers," CEPR Discussion Papers 13754, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    15. A. Abigail Payne & Justin Smith, 2020. "Big Fish, Small Pond: The Effect of Rank at Entry on Postsecondary Outcomes," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 86(4), pages 1475-1509, April.
    16. Michela Maria Tincani, 2017. "Heterogeneous Peer Effects and Rank Concerns: Theory and Evidence," CESifo Working Paper Series 6331, CESifo.
    17. Martin Fischer & Ulf-G Gerdtham & Gawain Heckley & Martin Karlsson & Gustav Kjellsson & Therese Nilsson, 2021. "Education and health: long-run effects of peers, tracking and years," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 36(105), pages 3-49.
    18. Michela Tincani, 2017. "Heterogeneous Peer Effects and Rank Concerns: Theory and Evidence," Working Papers 2017-006, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    19. Boucher, Vincent & Dedewanou, F. Antoine & Dufays, Arnaud, 2022. "Peer-induced beliefs regarding college participation," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    20. Megalokonomou, Rigissa & Zhang, Yi, 2024. "How good am I? Effects and mechanisms behind salient rank," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    21. Meier, Armando N. & Odermatt, Reto & Stutzer, Alois, 2021. "Tobacco sales prohibition and teen smoking," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 998-1014.
    22. Chen, Liping & Lin, Jiada & Wang, Zhifeng & Wu, Guansheng, 2025. "The impact of student's ordinal cognitive ability rank on school violence: Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    23. Markussen, Simen & Røed, Knut, 2018. "The Golden Middle Class Neighborhood: Trends in Residential Segregation and Consequences for Offspring Outcomes," IZA Discussion Papers 11684, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    24. Chesney, Alexander J. & Carrell, Scott E., 2024. "Brains versus brawn: Ordinal rank effects in job training," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).
    25. Simen Markussen & Knut Røed, 2023. "Are richer neighborhoods always better for the kids?," Journal of International Economic Law, Oxford University Press, vol. 23(3), pages 629-651.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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