Working Paper: NBER ID: w30341
Authors: Mette Foged; Line Hasager; Giovanni Peri; Jacob N. Arendt; Iben Bolvig
Abstract: Children of refugees are among the most economically disadvantaged youth in several European countries. They are more likely to drop out of school and to commit crime. We show that a reform in Denmark in 1999, that expanded language training for adult refugees and improved their economic integration, had significant intergenerational spillover effects in terms of higher completion rates from lower secondary school and lower juvenile crime rates. The effects on crime are driven by boys who were below school-starting age when their parents were treated.
Keywords: Language Training; Refugees; Intergenerational Effects; Education Outcomes; Crime Rates
JEL Codes: I21; J24; J30; J6
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| improved educational outcomes for children (I24) | lower juvenile crime rates among boys (K14) |
| language training for parents (J24) | improved educational outcomes for children (I24) |
| language training for parents (J24) | lower juvenile crime rates among boys (K14) |
| 1999 language training reform (M53) | improved educational outcomes for children (I24) |
| 1999 language training reform (M53) | lower juvenile crime rates among boys (K14) |