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Author: Wirth, Kathleen
Resulting in 1 citation.
1. Wirth, Kathleen
Understanding the Crime Choice - The Role of Market Wages
Presented: Durham, NC, Special Edition 2003 Undergraduate Research Symposium, August 2003
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Duke University
Keyword(s): Delinquency/Gang Activity; Modeling; Undergraduate Research; Wage Differentials; Wages; Youth Problems

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Following Jeffrey Grogger's 1998 analysis, I utilize a time allocation model to study the responsiveness of youth crime to market wage rates. The decision to commit crime will be considered a labor market phenomenon, influenced by the financial returns it offers in comparison to legal work alternatives. To test the theoretical implications of the model, I use data gathered from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Moreover, I expand on Grogger's model by increasing the sample size and utilizing different measures of criminal involvement and non-wage income. My estimates support Grogger's findings such that the crime choice is motivated by market wages.
Bibliography Citation
Wirth, Kathleen. "Understanding the Crime Choice - The Role of Market Wages." Presented: Durham, NC, Special Edition 2003 Undergraduate Research Symposium, August 2003.