Earned Income Tax Credit and Youth Fighting: Findings from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Youth violence increases the risk for violence perpetration in adulthood. Youth violence is associated with family and neighborhood poverty. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is the largest cash transfer program and anti-poverty program in the US providing support to low-income working families. We examined the association of the generosity of state EITC with youth violence measured in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) from 2005 to 2019. Using a difference-in-difference approach, we constructed Poisson regression models to assess the association between state-level changes in EITC generosity over this period and prevalence of physical fighting in the past 12 months. We adjusted for state level economic indicators including GDP, TANF maximum benefits, and minimum wage. From 2005-2019, the prevalence of physical fighting ranged from 15% to 37% of high school students, with an average of 26% over all state-years. A 10 percentage-point more generous state EITC was associated with 102 (95% CI -176, -28) fewer students per 10,000 experiencing physical fighting. The EITC may be helpful in preventing youth fighting. Future work could explore pathways by which EITC may prevent fighting, including by reducing financial insecurity and providing financial resources among low-income working families.

Authors

• Kimberly Dalve, University of Washington

• Caitlin Moe, University of Washington

• Nicole Kovski, University of Washington

• Frederick P. Rivara, University of Washington

• Stephen J. Mooney, University of Washington

• Heather D. Hill, University of Washington

• Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, University of Washington