Event Title
Does Parental Involvement have an Impact on a Child's Risky Behavior?
Faculty Mentor
Benjamin Scafidi
Keywords
Benjamin Scafidi
Abstract
Several studies have shown the influence that a parent has on a child’s life outcome. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study consists of four probit regressions measuring the effect that a parent has on a child’s probability of engaging in risky behavior. Risky behavior is defined in four ways; unprotected sex, binge drinking, marijuana usage, and regular cigarette smoking. With an increasing amount of households being single parent homes or dual-income homes, the “traditional” family is changing and this study sets out to find if this change will have an impact on a child’s conduct. The estimates from this model imply that parents do indeed have an effect on their child’s behavior. Parents have a significant effect on whether a child engages in binge drinking and unprotected sex. Their effect on cigarette smoking and marijuana usage is smaller, but still significant.
Session Name:
Some Economics of Happiness, Sadness, and Badness
Start Date
4-4-2014 1:15 PM
End Date
4-4-2014 2:15 PM
Location
HSB 300
Does Parental Involvement have an Impact on a Child's Risky Behavior?
HSB 300
Several studies have shown the influence that a parent has on a child’s life outcome. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study consists of four probit regressions measuring the effect that a parent has on a child’s probability of engaging in risky behavior. Risky behavior is defined in four ways; unprotected sex, binge drinking, marijuana usage, and regular cigarette smoking. With an increasing amount of households being single parent homes or dual-income homes, the “traditional” family is changing and this study sets out to find if this change will have an impact on a child’s conduct. The estimates from this model imply that parents do indeed have an effect on their child’s behavior. Parents have a significant effect on whether a child engages in binge drinking and unprotected sex. Their effect on cigarette smoking and marijuana usage is smaller, but still significant.