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Understanding Child Outcomes: An Application to Child Abuse and Neglect

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  • Carlos Seiglie

Abstract

Recently, there have been several empirical studies exploring the effects of abortion on child outcome by correlating the availability of abortion to a mother at the time of a child's birth. This paper presents a model that helps explain the process, as well as establish that the incidence of child neglect is also reduced by access to abortion. It argues that the birth of a child reduces the desired quality of not only that particular birth but of all previous and subsequent offspring. More specifically, a family does not reduce the quality invested in a particular child, whether unwanted or not, but in all family members. Several propositions derived from the model are empirically tested. Some of the findings include that access to abortion reduces the neglect of children, yet is positively associated with sexual abuse. Furthermore, unlike the stylized facts, blacks and female-headed households are no more likely to neglect and abuse their children than other households once availability of abortion, employment status, income and other variables are taken into account. Finally, income and the poverty rate are found to be unrelated with maltreatment, while other variables such as the unemployment rate have better explanatory power.

Suggested Citation

  • Carlos Seiglie, 2004. "Understanding Child Outcomes: An Application to Child Abuse and Neglect," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 143-160, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:reveho:v:2:y:2004:i:2:p:143-160
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    Cited by:

    1. Cameron Taylor, 2024. "Why do families foster children? A Beckerian approach," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 261-293, March.
    2. Lindo, Jason M. & Schaller, Jessamyn & Hansen, Benjamin, 2013. "Economic Conditions and Child Abuse," IZA Discussion Papers 7355, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Dan Brown & Elisabetta De Cao, 2017. "The Impact of Unemployment on Child Maltreatment in the United States," Economics Papers 2017-W04, Economics Group, Nuffield College, University of Oxford.
    4. Lindo, Jason M. & Schaller, Jessamyn & Hansen, Benjamin, 2018. "Caution! Men not at work: Gender-specific labor market conditions and child maltreatment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 77-98.
    5. Cherry, Robert & Wang, Chun, 2016. "The link between male employment and child maltreatment in the U.S., 2000–2012," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 117-122.
    6. Schenck-Fontaine, Anika & Gassman-Pines, Anna, 2020. "Income inequality and child maltreatment risk during economic recession," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    7. Leona Maruyama, 2023. "Identifying Socioeconomic Determinants of Child Maltreatment in the United States," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2023-003, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    8. Elisabetta De Cao, 2017. "The Impact of Unemployment on Child Maltreatment in the United States," Economics Series Working Papers 837, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    9. Kahn, Nicholas E., 2019. "Male-female disparities in the relationship between child maltreatment and labor market outcomes: A case study of Texas," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 384-392.

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