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School Starting Age and Crime

Author

Listed:
  • Rasmus Landersø

    () (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University)

  • Helena Skyt Nielsen

    () (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University)

  • Marianne Simonsen

    () (Department of Economics and Business, Aarhus University)

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of school starting age on crime while relying on variation in school starting age induced by administrative rules; we exploit that Danish children typically start first grade in the calendar year they turn seven, which gives rise to a discontinuity in children’s school starting age. Analyses are carried out using register-based Danish data. We find that higher age at school start lowers the propensity to commit crime, but that this reduction is caused by incapacitation while human capital accumulation is unaffected. Importantly, we also find that the individuals who benefit most from being old-for-grade are those with high latent abilities whereas those with low latent ability seem to be unaffected by being old-for-grade in school.

Suggested Citation

  • Rasmus Landersø & Helena Skyt Nielsen & Marianne Simonsen, 2013. "School Starting Age and Crime," Economics Working Papers 2013-03, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    • Handle: RePEc:aah:aarhec:2013-03
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    File URL: ftp://ftp.econ.au.dk/afn/wp/13/wp13_03.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Aoki, Yu, 2014. "More Schooling, Less Youth Crime? Learning from an Earthquake in Japan," IZA Discussion Papers 8619, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    2. McAdams, John M., 2016. "The effect of school starting age policy on crime: Evidence from U.S. microdata," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 227-241.
    3. Thomas S. Dee & Hans Henrik Sievertsen, 2015. "The Gift of Time? School Starting Age and Mental Health," NBER Working Papers 21610, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    old-for-grade; school start; criminal charges; violence; property crime;

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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