School starting age and crime

Arbeitspapier

This paper investigates the effects of school starting age on crime while relying on variation in school starting age induced by administrative rules; we exploit that Danish children typically start first grade in the calendar year they turn seven, which gives rise to a discontinuity in children's school starting age. Analyses are carried out using register-based Danish data. We find that higher age at school start lowers the propensity to commit crime, but that this reduction is caused by incapacitation while human capital accumulation is unaffected. Importantly, we also find that the individuals who benefit most from being old-for-grade are those with high latent abilities whereas those with low latent ability seem to be unaffected by being old-for-grade in school.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 7228

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Analysis of Education ; Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
• Subject: old-for-grade ; school start ; criminal charges ; violence ; property crime

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Landersø, Rasmus ; Nielsen, Helena Skyt ; Simonsen, Marianne
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2013

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/71664
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET