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More Schooling, Less Youth Crime? Learning from an Earthquake in Japan

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  • Aoki, Yu

    (University of Aberdeen)

Abstract

This paper aims to identify the causal effect of schooling on youth crime. To identify the causal effect, I use the policy interventions that occurred after the Kobe earthquake that hit Japan in 1995 as a natural experiment inducing exogenous variation in schooling. Based on a comparison of the arrest rates between municipalities exposed to similar degrees of earthquake damage but with and without the policy interventions, I find that a higher high school participation rate reduces juvenile arrest rates for violent crime but not for property crime. The estimates of social benefits show that it is less expensive to reach a target level of social benefits by improving schooling than by strengthening the police force.

Suggested Citation

  • Aoki, Yu, 2014. "More Schooling, Less Youth Crime? Learning from an Earthquake in Japan," IZA Discussion Papers 8619, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8619
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Yue & Mastrogiacomo, Mauro & Hochguertel, Stefan & Bloemen, Hans, 2016. "The role of wealth in the start-up decision of new self-employed: Evidence from a pension policy reform," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 280-290.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    schooling; youth crime; social externality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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