Does Being 'Left–Behind' in Childhood Lead to Criminality in Adulthood? Evidence from Data on Rural-Urban Migrants and Prison Inmates in China

54 Pages Posted: 19 May 2022 Last revised: 12 Dec 2024

See all articles by Lisa A. Cameron

Lisa A. Cameron

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research; IZA Institute of Labor Economics; J-PAL

Xin Meng

Australian National University; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Dandan Zhang

National School of Development, Peking University

Abstract

Large scale rural-to-urban migration and China's household registration system have resulted in about 61 million children being left-behind in rural villages when their parents migrate to the cities. This paper uses survey and experimental data from male rural-urban migrants – prison inmates and comparable non-inmates – to examine whether parental absence in childhood as a result of migration is associated with increased criminality in adulthood. Control functions and sibling fixed effects are used to identify causal impacts. Parental absence due to migration is found to increase the propensity of adult males to commit crimes. Being left-behind decreases educational attainment and increases risk-loving behavior, both of which increase criminality.

Keywords: crime, migration, China

JEL Classification: O12, O15, J12

Suggested Citation

Cameron, Lisa A. and Meng, Xin and Zhang, Dandan, Does Being 'Left–Behind' in Childhood Lead to Criminality in Adulthood? Evidence from Data on Rural-Urban Migrants and Prison Inmates in China. IZA Discussion Paper No. 14774, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4114311

Lisa A. Cameron (Contact Author)

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research ( email )

Level 5, FBE Building, 111 Barry Street
Parkville, Victoria 3010
Australia

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

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J-PAL ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.povertyactionlab.org/cameron

Xin Meng

Australian National University ( email )

Research School of Economics
College of Business and Economics
Canberra ACT 0200
Australia
+61 26249 3102 (Phone)

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Schaumburg-Lippe-Str. 7 / 9
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Dandan Zhang

National School of Development, Peking University ( email )

Beijing, 100871
China

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