Research Papers in Economics, Department of Economics, Stockholm University
No 2009:18:
Like Godfather, Like Son: Explaining the Intergenerational Nature of Crime
Randi Hjalmarsson ()
and Matthew Lindquist ()
Abstract: This paper studies intergenerational correlations in crime
between fathers and their children and the underlying mechanisms that give
rise to these correlations. Using data from the Stockholm Birth Cohort, we
find strong evidence of an intergenerational criminal relationship. Sons
whose fathers have at least one sentence have 2.06 times higher odds of
having a criminal conviction than sons whose fathers do not have any
sentence. At the intensive margin, one additional sentence of the father
increases the expected number of sons’ convictions by 32 percent.
Fatherdaughter relationships are generally not significantly different than
fathers-son relationships. Traditional regression techniques indicate that
socioeconomic status accounts for roughly one-third of the extensive margin
father-son relationship and somewhat less, particularly at the intensive
margin, for daughters. Over and above this, for both sons and daughters,
our ability proxies account for an additional 20 percent. Finally,
household heterogeneity, the most important component of which is household
instability, accounts for almost one-third of the intergenerational
relationships. More direct evidence regarding whether the intergenerational
correlations arise through either an inherited traits mechanism or a father
as role model mechanism is provided in four alternative experiments. These
experiments focus on: (i) a sample of twins, (ii) an adoptee sample, (iii)
the timing of the father’s crime, and (iv) the quality of the father –
child relationship. We find evidence that both direct channels play a role
in the reproduction of crime from one generation to the next. Finally, we
find that paternal incarceration may actually lower the number of crimes
committed by some children, providing additional evidence of the importance
of a behavioral transference mechanism.
Keywords: crime; illegal behavior; intergenerational crime; intergenerational mobility; risky behavior; (follow links to similar papers)
JEL-Codes: J62; K42; (follow links to similar papers)
58 pages, October 22, 2009
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