Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP5331
Authors: Eleonora Patacchini; Yves Zenou
Abstract: We propose a simple conformism model that explains how parental education and peer pressure impact on criminal activities. We then test the model using the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (AddHealth), which contains unique information on friendship relationships among delinquent teenagers. We find that conformity is very strong within groups of delinquents and that the higher the taste for conformity of an individual, the lower the deviation from the norm's group. These results suggest that, for teenagers, the decision to commit crimes is not a simple choice based primarily on individual considerations but is strongly affected by their environment and peers.
Keywords: conformism; juvenile crime; parents education; norms
JEL Codes: A14; I21; K42
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Taste for conformity (below group average effort) (C92) | Individual crime effort (K42) |
| Taste for conformity (above group average effort) (C92) | Individual crime effort (K42) |
| Parental education level (I24) | Individual crime level (K42) |
| Average education level of friends' parents (I24) | Individual crime level (K42) |