Drugs and Juvenile Crime: Evidence from a Panel of Siblings and Twins

Abstract

Using data from the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this chapter investigates the impact of individual drug use on robbery, burglary, theft, and damaging property for juveniles. Using a variety of fixed-effects models that exploit variations over time and between siblings and twins, the results indicate that drug use has a significant impact on the propensity to commit crime. We find that the median impact of cocaine use on the propensity to commit various types of crimes is 11 percentage points. The impact of using inhalants or other drugs is an increase in the propensity to commit crime by 7 percentage points, respectively.

Citation

Naci Mocan, H. and Tekin, E. (2005), "Drugs and Juvenile Crime: Evidence from a Panel of Siblings and Twins", Lindgren, B. and Grossman, M. (Ed.) Substance Use: Individual Behaviour, Social Interactions, Markets and Politics (Advances in Health Economics and Health Services Research, Vol. 16), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 91-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0731-2199(05)16005-1