Evaluating the Impact of Full-Time School Programs on Youth Criminality: Evidence from a Large-Scale Expansion of Education in Brazil
The study aims to examine the causal effects of Brazil's full-time school program on youth involvement in criminal activities, providing novel evidence on how extending school hours and improving education quality affects the propensity to get involved in crime. To do so, I will use large sets of linked microdata from over 600,000 students over a 10 year period employing advanced econometric techniques, such as staggered difference-in-differences making use of the quasi-experimental variation from the program. The analysis will provide estimates on the overall impact of a full-time school program and its underlying mechanisms, including incapacitation effects and the role of arts and sports classes in fostering non-cognitive skills. The research will also examine whether full-time schooling benefits historically disadvantaged groups, such as black students and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. While the study uses data from Brazil, it is expected that the findings will have broad implications, showing how education reduces youth crime, offering evidence-based information to policymakers on preventive programs, and highlighting strategies to promote inclusion and equity for vulnerable groups beyond the context of Brazil.