Employment, Ethnicity, and Crime and Delinquency of Working Youth: A Longitudinal Study of Youth Employment

A rapidly growing body of literature has begun to reassess the impact of employment on antisocial behaviors among school-aged youth. A decade ago, empirical research and policy recommendations largely concerns about the negative consequences of adolescents' intensive work hours. However, the long-term impact of the employment participation is understudied. Using the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97)'a large nationally representative and longitudinal sample of adolescents'this dissertation project examines the contingencies of employment affecting delinquent and young adult criminal behavior, net of financial rewards, parental control, and other social variables. To comprehend the full impact of employment among adolescents this research introduces a new idea of 'ladder job,' a construct of an upward moving employment that increases stakes in conformity and enhances social control. In addition, this research extends and builds upon the emerging literature by assessing the extent that youth's ethnic backgrounds intervenes or interacts with 'ladder job.' ca/ncf