Are Idle Hands the Devil’s Workshop? Incapacitation, Concentration, and Juvenile Crime

Abstract

This paper examines the short-term effect of school on juvenile crime. To do so, we bring together daily measures of criminal activity and detailed school calendar information from 29 jurisdictions across the country, and utilize the plausibly exogenous variation generated by teacher in-service days. We find that the level of property crime committed by juveniles decreases by 14 percent on days when school is in session, but the level of violent crime increases by 28 percent on such days. Our findings suggest that both incapacitation and concentration influence juvenile crime.

Spillovers from conditional cash transfer programs: Bolsa Família and crime in urban Brazil

“…If there is a high probability that children are around the school area for a significant amount of time, this approach should be adequate. US evidence supports this strategy, since it reveals a concentration of crimes committed by youth in periods immediately after school hours, when children/adolescents are still likely to be near the school (Snyder and Sickmund, 1999, Jacob and Lefgren, 2003, and Gottfredson and Soulé, 2005. The system of allocation of students to schools in São Paulo also supports our approach, as children are expected to study in the closest school available.…”

“…Anderson (2011), for example, documents declines in juvenile crime rates at the time of increase in minimum dropout ages across US states, while Berthelon and Kruger (2011) report reductions in crime and teenage pregnancy following a school reform in Chile that increased weekly school hours from 32 to 39. Jacob and Lefgren (2003) and Luallen (2006), the former exploiting variations in teacher in-service days and the latter teacher strikes, document that property crimes decline but violent crimes rise when youth are in school (see also Snyder andSickmund, 1999, andGottfredson andSoulé, 2005).…”

Crime, compulsory schooling laws and education

“…incapacitation effects (Jacob andLefgren, 2003, andLuallen, 2006). 3 However, we also know that criminal behaviour peaks in the late teenage years.…”

Routine Activities and Proactive Police Activity: A Macro-scale Analysis of Police Searches in London and New York City

“…School days may act to "incapacitate" juvenile offenders by placing them under the supervision of teachers, but conversely may act to "concentrate" motivated offenders and vulnerable victims (Jacob & Lefgren, 2003). The criminogenic effect of concentration may be particularly pronounced on the journey to and from school, when older children especially are often unsupervised.…”