IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/cge/wacage/806.html

Intergenerational Transmission of Victimization

Author

Listed:
  • Bhalotra, Sonia

    (University of Warwick)

  • Daysal, N.Meltem

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Jensen, Mathias Fjællegaard

    (University of Oxford)

  • Jørgensen, Thomas H.

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Montpetit, Sébastien

    (University of Warwick)

Abstract

Using four decades of Danish administrative data, we estimate the intergenerational trans mission of violent crime victimization. Sons are twice as likely, and daughters three times as likely, to be victimized if a parent was victimized, with stronger associations if the mother was the victim. Controlling for cohort, municipality, socioeconomic factors, parental cohabitation, and parental offending explains about 60% of this correlation. The link is weaker in higher-income families; it persists for sons, but is driven to zero for daughters. Further, children of victimized parents experience lower absolute income mobility, comparable to the Black-White difference for men in the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Bhalotra, Sonia & Daysal, N.Meltem & Jensen, Mathias Fjællegaard & Jørgensen, Thomas H. & Montpetit, Sébastien, 2026. "Intergenerational Transmission of Victimization," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 806, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cge:wacage:806
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/research/centres/cage/manage/publications/wp806.2026.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Randi Hjalmarsson & Matthew J. Lindquist, 2012. "Like Godfather, Like Son: Exploring the Intergenerational Nature of Crime," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 47(2), pages 550-582.
    2. Bhalotra, Sonia R. & Clarke, Damian & Venkataramani, Atheendar, 2025. "The Long Run Economic Effects of Medical Innovation and the Role of Opportunities," IZA Discussion Papers 18327, IZA Network @ LISER.
    3. Behrman, Jere R & Taubman, Paul, 1976. "Intergenerational Transmission of Income and Wealth," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 66(2), pages 436-440, May.
    4. Randi Hjalmarsson & Helena Holmlund & Matthew J. Lindquist, 2015. "The Effect of Education on Criminal Convictions and Incarceration: Causal Evidence from Micro‐data," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 125(587), pages 1290-1326, September.
    5. Jens Ludwig & Greg J. Duncan & Paul Hirschfield, 2001. "Urban Poverty and Juvenile Crime: Evidence from a Randomized Housing-Mobility Experiment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 116(2), pages 655-679.
    6. Abi Adams & Kristiina Huttunen & Emily Nix & Ning Zhang, 2024. "The Dynamics of Abusive Relationships," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 139(4), pages 2135-2180.
    7. Keith Finlay & Michael Mueller-Smith & Brittany Street, 2023. "Children’s Indirect Exposure to the U.S. Justice System: Evidence From Longitudinal Links between Survey and Administrative Data," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 138(4), pages 2181-2224.
    8. Boustan, Leah & Jensen, Mathias Fjællegaard & Abramitzky, Ran & Jácome, Elisa & Manning, Alan & Pérez, Santiago & Watley, Analysia & Adermon, Adrian & Arellano-Bover, Jaime & Åslund, Olof & Connol, 2025. "Intergenerational mobility of immigrants in 15 destination countries," CEPR Discussion Papers 20003, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    9. Jeffrey R. Kling & Jens Ludwig & Lawrence F. Katz, 2005. "Neighborhood Effects on Crime for Female and Male Youth: Evidence from a Randomized Housing Voucher Experiment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 120(1), pages 87-130.
    10. Daniel Aaronson & Bhashkar Mazumder, 2008. "Intergenerational Economic Mobility in the United States, 1940 to 2000," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(1).
    11. Anna Bindler & Randi Hjalmarsson & Nadine Ketel & Andreea Mitrut, 2024. "Discontinuities in the Age-Victimisation Profile and the Determinants of Victimisation," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(657), pages 95-134.
    12. Becker, Gary S & Tomes, Nigel, 1979. "An Equilibrium Theory of the Distribution of Income and Intergenerational Mobility," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 87(6), pages 1153-1189, December.
    13. Sam Asher & Paul Novosad & Charlie Rafkin, 2024. "Intergenerational Mobility in India: New Measures and Estimates across Time and Social Groups," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 16(2), pages 66-98, April.
    14. Anna Bindler & Nadine Ketel, 2022. "Scaring or Scarring? Labor Market Effects of Criminal Victimization," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(4), pages 939-970.
    15. Alberto Alesina & Sebastian Hohmann & Stelios Michalopoulos & Elias Papaioannou, 2021. "Intergenerational Mobility in Africa," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 89(1), pages 1-35, January.
    16. Pedro Carneiro & Italo López García & Kjell G. Salvanes & Emma Tominey, 2021. "Intergenerational Mobility and the Timing of Parental Income," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 129(3), pages 757-788.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bhalotra, Sonia & Daysal, N. Meltem & Jensen, Mathias Fjællegaard & Jørgensen, Thomas & Montpetit, Sebastien, 2026. "Intergenerational Transmission of Victimization," IZA Discussion Papers 18681, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Sonia Bhalotra & N. Meltem Daysal & Mathias Fjellgaard Jensen & Thomas H. Jørgensen & Sébastien Montpetit, 2026. "Intergenerational Transmission of Victimization," CESifo Working Paper Series 12693, CESifo.
    3. Sonia Bhalotra & N. Meltem Daysal & Mathias Fjællegaard Jensen & Thomas Høgholm Jørgensen & Sébastien Montpetit, 2026. "Intergenerational transmission of victimization," IFS Working Papers W26/41, Institute for Fiscal Studies.
    4. Sonia Bhalotra & N. Meltem Daysal & Mathias Fjællegaard Jensen & Thomas H. Jørgensen & Sébastien Montpetit, 2026. "Intergenerational Transmission of Victimization," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 26150, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).
    5. Bhalotra, Sonia & Daysal, N. Meltem & Fjællegaard Jensen, Mathias & Jørgensen, Thomas H. & Montpetit, Sébastien, 2026. "Intergenerational Transmission of Victimization," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1614, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    6. Lindquist, Matthew J. & Zenou, Yves, 2019. "Crime and Networks: 10 Policy Lessons," IZA Discussion Papers 12534, IZA Network @ LISER.
    7. Karin Hederos Eriksson & Randi Hjalmarsson & Matthew J. Lindquist & Anna Sandberg, 2016. "The importance of family background and neighborhood effects as determinants of crime," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 29(1), pages 219-262, January.
    8. Ahsan, Md Nazmul & Emran, M. Shahe & Shilpi, Forhad, 2024. "Complementarities and intergenerational educational mobility: Theory and evidence from Indonesia," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 170-191.
    9. Lindquist, Matthew & Patacchini, Eleonora & Vlassopoulos, Michael & Zenou, Yves, 2024. "Spillovers in Criminal Networks: Evidence from Co-Offender Deaths," CEPR Discussion Papers 19159, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    10. Emeline Bezin & Thierry Verdier & Yves Zenou, 2022. "Crime, Broken Families, and Punishment," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 14(4), pages 723-760, November.
    11. Julia Baarck & Moritz Bode & Andreas Peichl, 2025. "Rising Inequality, Declining Mobility: The Evolution of Intergenerational Mobility in Germany," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 550, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    12. Anna Piil Damm & Christian Dustmann, 2014. "Does Growing Up in a High Crime Neighborhood Affect Youth Criminal Behavior?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(6), pages 1806-1832, June.
    13. Woo-Mora, L. Guillermo, 2026. "Unveiling the Cosmic Race: Skin tone and intergenerational economic disparities in Latin America and the Caribbean," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    14. Zenou, Yves & Lindquist, Matthew, 2014. "Key Players in Co-Offending Networks," CEPR Discussion Papers 9889, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    15. Martti Kaila & Emily Nix & Krista Riukula, 2021. "Disparate Impacts of Job Loss by Parental Income and Implications for Intergenerational Mobility," Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute Working Papers 53, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    16. Bennett, Patrick, 2018. "The heterogeneous effects of education on crime: Evidence from Danish administrative twin data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 160-177.
    17. Hjalmarsson, Randi & Lindquist, Matthew J., 2013. "The origins of intergenerational associations in crime: Lessons from Swedish adoption data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 68-81.
    18. Emran, M. Shahe & Jiang, Hanchen & Shilpi, Forhad, 2025. "Is gender destiny? Gender bias and intergenerational educational mobility in India," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).
    19. Bethencourt, Carlos & Kunze, Lars, 2014. "On the intergenerational nature of criminal behavior," MPRA Paper 58344, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Ahsan, Md. Nazmul & Emran, M. Shahe & Jiang, Hanchen & Shilpi, Forhad, 2025. "Making the most of coresident data: Credible evidence on intergenerational mobility with sibling correlation," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cge:wacage:806. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Jane Snape (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dewaruk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.