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Crime and the transition to parenthood. The role of sex and relationship context

Author

Listed:
  • Christian Weisæth Monsbakken
  • Torbjørn Skardhamar
  • Torkild Hovde Lyngstad

    (Statistics Norway)

Abstract

Research on desistance from crime has paid little attention to parenthood as a "turning point". In this paper, we use Norwegian register data on a population of men and women who had their first child between 1995 and 2001 (131,167 women and 127,415 men). We provide separate estimates for sex and marital status as parenthood has different implications for men and women. Their social and economic situations will also vary by marital status, which is likely to have implications for offending. We describe the changes in offending for this sample year-by-year, comparing subjects before and after child-birth. Overall, we find that the transition to parenthood is characterized by a decrease in criminal activity. There is considerable heterogeneity between women and men. The term "turning point" applies only to men who are not living with the other parent.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Weisæth Monsbakken & Torbjørn Skardhamar & Torkild Hovde Lyngstad, 2012. "Crime and the transition to parenthood. The role of sex and relationship context," Discussion Papers 673, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:ssb:dispap:673
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    File URL: https://www.ssb.no/a/publikasjoner/pdf/DP/dp673.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Giordano, Peggy C. & Seffrin, Patrick M. & Manning, Wendy D. & Longmore, Monica A., 2011. "Parenthood and crime: The role of wantedness, relationships with partners, and ses," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 405-416.
    2. Bjerk, David J., 2009. "How Much Can We Trust Causal Interpretations of Fixed-Effects Estimators in the Context of Criminality?," IZA Discussion Papers 4387, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Ziggy MacDonald, 2002. "Official Crime Statistics: Their Use and Interpretation," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(477), pages 85-106, February.
    4. Knut R¯ed & Oddbj¯rn Raaum, 2003. "Administrative registers - Unexplored reservoirs of Scientific Knowledge?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 113(488), pages 258-281, June.
    5. Greg Duncan & Bessie Wilkerson & Paula England, 2006. "Cleaning up their act: The effects of marriage and cohabitation on licit and illicit drug use," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 43(4), pages 691-710, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    parenthood; crime; social control theory; sex; register data; turning points;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • K49 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Other

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