RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN YOUTH CRIME AND EMPLOYMENT : A THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL APPROACH.

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Pirog, Maureen A.

Contributor:

University of Pennsylvania.

Subjects (All):

Criminology.

0627.

Local Subjects:

0627.

Physical Description:

223 pages

Contained In:

Dissertation Abstracts International 42-03A.

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

text file

Summary:

This thesis examines the simultaneity and timing aspects of the relationships between youth crime and employment. It begins with a review of the theoretical and empirical literatures related to this subject. Several conclusions were reached based upon this review. First, the theoretical sociological and economic literatures conflict with respect to the existence, nature and importance of youth crime and employment relationships. Secondly, the findings of the empirical studies on this topic conflict with respect to the direction, magnitude and significance of any youth crime-employment relationships. Moreover, with the exception of this thesis, there have been no studies based on micro level data which investigate the simultaneity of youth crime and employment relationships.

The theoretical components of this thesis goes on to develop likely patterns of youth crime and employment relationships. Based on this analysis, an empirical model is constructed and tested. The main component of the empirical analysis consists of a FIML simultaneous probit model where the latent dependent variables are the net utility of crime and an employability index. The estimation is based on data on 302 youths who were enrolled in a crime prevention program in Philadelphia. The employment, police contact, seasonal dummies, unemployment rate and relevant youth and family demographic data are constructed as time series data where each person/month observation is assigned a set of historical variables.

The thesis concludes that the net utility of crime and the employability of youths are simultaneously determined. The one other variable found to be a significant determinant of the net utility of crime is the length of time since the youth's last police contact. Other significant determinants of a youth's employability include the length of time since the youth's last police contact, the youth's employment status in the preceeding time period, and the seasons.

Dropping the strict econometric interpretations of the two latent dependent variables, this study concludes that policies such as government employment programs or a reduction in the minimum wage for youths would have the beneficial effect of reducing youth crime. However, if youths displace adults in the labor force, there may be an increase in adult criminality. Moreover, this study suggests that judges who harshly reprimand delinquent youths demanding that youths find and keep jobs as "proof" of their reformation will be successful in reducing delinquency.

Notes:

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: A, page: 1327.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Pennsylvania, 1981.

Local Notes:

School code: 0175.

Access Restriction:

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