Intergenerational Effects of Welfare Reform: Adolescent Delinquent and Risky Behaviors

47 Pages Posted: 12 Feb 2019 Last revised: 2 Apr 2023

See all articles by Dhaval Dave

Dhaval Dave

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) - NY Office; Bentley University - Department of Economics

Hope Corman

Rider University; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Ariel Kalil

University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy

Ofira Schwartz-Soicher

University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)

Nancy Reichman

Rutgers University, New Brunswick - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: February 2019

Abstract

This study investigates effects of welfare reform in the U.S. on the next generation. Most previous studies of effects of welfare reform on adolescents focused on high-school dropout of girls or fertility; little is known about how welfare reform has affected teenage boys. We use a difference-in-difference-in-differences framework to identify gender-specific effects of welfare reform on salient adolescent behaviors (skipping school, fighting, damaging property, stealing, hurting others, smoking, alcohol, marijuana, other illicit drugs). Welfare reform led to increases in delinquent behaviors of boys as well as increases in substance use of boys and girls, with substantially larger effects for boys.

Suggested Citation

Dave, Dhaval and Dave, Dhaval and Corman, Hope and Kalil, Ariel and Schwartz-Soicher, Ofira and Reichman, Nancy, Intergenerational Effects of Welfare Reform: Adolescent Delinquent and Risky Behaviors (February 2019). NBER Working Paper No. w25527, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3332274

Dhaval Dave (Contact Author)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) - NY Office

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Bentley University - Department of Economics ( email )

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Hope Corman

Rider University ( email )

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609-895-5559 (Phone)
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Ariel Kalil

University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy ( email )

Ofira Schwartz-Soicher

University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) ( email )

P.O. Box 1709
Newark, NJ 07101
United States

Nancy Reichman

Rutgers University, New Brunswick - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School ( email )

Somerset, NJ 08873
United States

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