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School Starting Age and the Crime-Age Profile

Author

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  • Landerso, Rasmus

    (Rockwool Foundation Research Unit)

  • Nielsen, Helena Skyt

    (Aarhus University)

  • Simonsen, Marianne

    (Aarhus University)

Abstract

This paper uses register-based data to investigate the effects of school starting age on crime. Through this, we provide insights into the determinants of crime-age profiles. We exploit that Danish children typically start first grade in the calendar year they turn seven, which gives rise to a discontinuity in school starting age for children born around New Year. Our analysis speaks against a simple invariant crime-age profile as is popular in criminology: we find that higher school starting age lowers the propensity to commit crime at young ages. We also find effects on the number of crimes committed for boys.

Suggested Citation

  • Landerso, Rasmus & Nielsen, Helena Skyt & Simonsen, Marianne, 2015. "School Starting Age and the Crime-Age Profile," IZA Discussion Papers 9279, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp9279
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    Cited by:

    1. Simone Balestra & Beatrix Eugster & Helge Liebert, 2017. "The Effect of School Starting Age on Special Needs Incidence and Child Development into Adolescence," CESifo Working Paper Series 6837, CESifo.
    2. Görlitz, Katja & Penny, Merlin & Tamm, Marcus, 2019. "The Long-Term Effect of Age at School Entry on Competencies in Adulthood," IZA Discussion Papers 12157, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Anna Bindler & Randi Hjalmarsson & Nadine Ketel & Andreea Mitrut, 2023. "Discontinuities in the Age-Victimisation Profile and the Determinants of Victimisation," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 134(657), pages 95-134.
    4. Brenøe, Anne Ardila & Lundberg, Shelly, 2018. "Gender gaps in the effects of childhood family environment: Do they persist into adulthood?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 42-62.
    5. Brian Bell & Rui Costa & Stephen Machin, 2022. "Why Does Education Reduce Crime?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 130(3), pages 732-765.
    6. Tukiainen, Janne & Takalo, Tuomas & Hulkkonen, Topi, 2019. "Relative age effects in political selection," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 50-63.
    7. Berniell, Inés & Estrada, Ricardo, 2020. "Poor little children: The socioeconomic gap in parental responses to school disadvantage," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    8. Md. Abdur Rahman Forhad, 2021. "Minimum Dropout Age and Juvenile Crime in the USA," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 47(3), pages 378-405, June.
    9. Arbour, William & Lacroix, Guy & Marchand, Steeve, 2021. "Prison Rehabilitation Programs: Efficiency and Targeting," IZA Discussion Papers 14022, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Anna Folke Larsen & Afonso Saraiva Câmara Leme & Marianne Simonsen, 2020. "Pupil Well-being in Danish Primary and Lower Secondary Schools," Economics Working Papers 2020-13, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    11. Johansen, Eva Rye, 2021. "Relative age for grade and adolescent risky health behavior," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    12. Tukiainen, Janne & Takalo, Tuomas & Hulkkonen, Topi, 2019. "Relative age effects in political selection," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 50-63.
    13. Huttunen, Kristiina & Pekkarinen, Tuomas & Uusitalo, Roope & Virtanen, Hanna, 2023. "Lost boys? Secondary education and crime," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    14. Tushar Bharati & Thea Harpley Green, 2021. "Age at school transition and children’s cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 21-06, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    15. Ujjaini Mukhopadhyay, 2021. "Differential Education Subsidy Policy and Wage Inequality Between Skilled, Semi-skilled and Unskilled Labour: A General Equilibrium Approach," Review of Development and Change, , vol. 26(1), pages 40-62, June.
    16. Tukiainen, Janne & Takalo, Tuomas & Hulkkonen, Topi, 2017. "Gender Specific Relative Age Effects in Politics and Football," Working Papers 94, VATT Institute for Economic Research.
    17. Fumarco, Luca & Baert, Stijn, 2018. "Younger and Dissatisfied? Relative Age and Life-satisfaction in Adolescence," MPRA Paper 89968, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Guo, Chuanyi & Wang, Xuening & Meng, Chen, 2023. "Does the early bird catch the worm? Evidence and interpretation on the long-term impact of school entry age in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    19. Nikhil Jha & Cain Polidano, 2016. "Vocational Education and Training: A Pathway to the Straight and Narrow," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2016n21, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    20. Gørtz, Mette & Johansen, Eva Rye & Simonsen, Marianne, 2018. "Academic achievement and the gender composition of preschool staff," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 241-258.
    21. repec:zbw:bofrdp:2018_015 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Li, Xu & Lou, Xuyan & Zhang, Junsen, 2022. "Does the early bird catch the worm? The effect of school starting age on educational attainment and labor market outcomes: Evidence from Chinese urban twins data," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 832-848.
    23. Fallesen, Peter & Geerdsen, Lars Pico & Imai, Susumu & Tranæs, Torben, 2018. "The effect of active labor market policies on crime: Incapacitation and program effects," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 263-286.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    violence; old-for-grade; school start; criminal charges; property crime;
    All these keywords.

    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

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

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