AEA Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
The Child Left Behind: Parental Incarceration and Adult Human Capital in the United States
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 109,
May 2019
(pp. 199–203)
Abstract
Exposure to parental incarceration is particularly prevalent in the United States, where about 7 percent of children have lived with a parent who was incarcerated. In this paper, I use nationally representative US data and apply partial identification methods to bound the likely effects of parental incarceration on education and labor market outcomes. Findings suggest that parental incarceration leads to substantially higher rates of high school dropout. Results provide some support for negative effects on likelihood of college degree attainment and employment in young adulthood. This work has important implications for criminal justice policy and social policies toward children.Citation
Henkhaus, Laura E. 2019. "The Child Left Behind: Parental Incarceration and Adult Human Capital in the United States." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 109: 199–203. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20191092Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
- J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
- K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law