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Crime at your doorstep: Gender-specific effects on university student performance

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel Montolio

    (Universitat de Barcelona & IEB)

  • Pere A. Taberner

    (Universitat de Barcelona & IEB & KSNET)

Abstract

Student performance at university significantly influences individual decisions and future opportunities, especially in labour markets. This paper analyses the impact of local crime on student performance during higher education, with a focus on potential gender differences. Following students over their bachelor’s years, the identification strategy exploits granular local crime variation – violent and non-violent crimes – near students’ residences before sitting a final exam. We consider both spatial and temporal patterns of crime exposure by estimating a panel data model with student, exam and district-month fixed-effects to provide causal estimates. Our findings suggest that violent crimes have a negative impact on student performance, while non-violent have no significant effect. Notably, the results are mainly driven by high-ability female students, with suggestive evidence that male students in the bottom or middle parts of the grade distribution are also affected.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Montolio & Pere A. Taberner, 2025. "Crime at your doorstep: Gender-specific effects on university student performance," Working Papers 2025/07, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    • Handle: RePEc:ieb:wpaper:doc2025-07
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Local violent crime; academic performance; higher education; gender differences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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