Fatherhood, Attachment, and Risky Behavior

• In Event: Causal methods in Developmental and Life-Course Criminology: Strategies to improve causal inference

Abstract

Fatherhood produces a series of “premiums”, such as lower crime rates and drug use, better health, and higher wages. Recent studies show that criminal behavior even decreases prior to fatherhood, which has been interpreted as arising from identity change and attachment, men becoming fathers. But fatherhood comes with time and mobility constraints, which may be especially strong in the early stages of fatherhood when the infant requires time, attention, and care. Are the transitory benefits of fatherhood lasting or temporary? With this paper, we use granular data on men’s behavior as they transition into and during the first three years of their first fatherhood. We provide new empirical knowledge on the mechanisms that drive fatherhood premiums, and we contribute to the understanding of how the family as a social institution can have positive effects on life outcomes.

Authors

• Lars Højsgaard Andersen, ROCKWOOL Foundation

• Peter Fallesen, ROCKWOOL Foundation

• Miriam Gensowski, ROCKWOOL Foundation

• Mikkeline M. Nielsen, ROCKWOOL Foundation / University of Copenhagen