Citation
Swisher, Raymond R. & Dennison, Christopher R. (2017). First-generation student life course situations, risk-taking, and graduation. Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology. Philadelphia, PA.Abstract
Criminologists are increasingly interested in the association between education and crime. The growing demand for post-secondary education has resulted in diverse enrollment populations, and students today are more likely than ever before to be the first in their families to pursue a degree. Yet, first-generation college students are predominately from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and are among those least likely to complete their degree. Moreover, increasing costs of tuition coupled with these diverse background characteristics mean the college experience is vastly different from one student to another, suggesting the potential for variations in crime and other negative outcomes. Using data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we examine the interrelated associations between a host of life course circumstances during young adulthood (i.e., first-generation student status, post-secondary enrollment, residence status, and employment) and crime, depression, and substance use. Findings are discussed with respect to expanding enrollment and the challenges associated with educational experiences among non-traditional students.Reference Type
Conference proceedingBook Title
Annual Meeting of the American Society of CriminologyAuthor(s)
Swisher, Raymond R.Dennison, Christopher R.