Teenage dropouts and drug use: Does the specification of peer group structure matter?

Citation

Glaser, Darrell J. (2009). Teenage dropouts and drug use: Does the specification of peer group structure matter?. Economics of Education Review. vol. 28 (4) pp. 415-522

Abstract

Four alternative structures of peer groups are compared in an empirical analysis of teenage dropouts and recent drug use. In general, individual-specific covariates remain robust regardless of group structure specification in dropout models, but lose significance in models of drug-use. Estimates of correlated school effects depend on the specification of group structure. Contextual group effects have no influence on the probability that an individual uses drugs, but demonstrate some statistical significance, albeit ambiguous and strongly dependent on the specification of group structure. Endogenous peer effects do not influence the probability of dropping-out of school, but exhibit positive complementarities with respect to recent drug-use. Modeling the probabilities of leaving school and recent drug-use within a jointly distributed empirical framework indicates that unobserved attributes bridging the two types of behavior demonstrate positive correlation.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.econedurev.2008.11.001

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Economics of Education Review

Author(s)

Glaser, Darrell J.

Year Published

2009

Volume Number

28

Issue Number

4

Pages

415-522

DOI

10.1016/j.econedurev.2008.11.001

Reference ID

1107