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Risky Moms, Risky Kids? Fertility And Crime After The Fall Of The Wall

Author

Listed:
  • Arnaud Chevalier

    (Royal Holloway University of London)

  • Olivier Marie

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

Abstract

We study the link between parental selection and child criminality. Following the collapse of the communist regime in 1989, the number of births halved in East Germany. These cohorts became markedly more likely to be arrested as they grew up in reunified Germany. This is observed for both genders and all offence types. We highlight risk attitude as an important reason why certain women did not alter their fertility decisions during this time of economic uncertainty. We also show that this preference for risk was then strongly transmitted to their children which may in turn explain their high criminal propensity.

Suggested Citation

  • Arnaud Chevalier & Olivier Marie, 2019. "Risky Moms, Risky Kids? Fertility And Crime After The Fall Of The Wall," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 19-087/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20190087
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    2. Sven A. Hartmann, 2024. "Television and family demography: Evidence from a natural experiment in East Germany," IAAEU Discussion Papers 202407, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    3. Kleinjans Kristin J., 2024. "Socio-economic Circumstances at Birth and Early Motherhood: The Case of the “Daughters of the Wall”," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 244(1-2), pages 113-129, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Fertility; crime; parental selection; economic uncertainty; risk attitude;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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