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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter January 23, 2018

Warrantless Arrest Laws for Domestic Violence: How Are Youth Affected?

  • Kabir Dasgupta EMAIL logo and Gail Pacheco
From the journal The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy
https://doi.org/10.1515/bejeap-2017-0114

Abstract

This study empirically examines the impact of warrantless arrest laws (designed to deter domestic violence) on multiple youth outcomes. Utilizing variation in the timing of implementation of the laws across states, and employing a difference in differences framework, we examine both the direct and indirect impacts on youth in the United States. There appears to be no significant direct link between warrantless arrest laws and domestic violence-related homicides. However, on the indirect front, we do find strong evidence that implementation of the arrest laws results in a drop in the probability of youth experiencing suicidal ideation. This analysis also accounts for important heterogeneities in laws across states, and our findings are robust to multiple sensitivity checks, aimed at addressing key threats to identification.

Keywords: domestic violence; warrantless arrest laws; homicide; youth; mental health; difference-in-differences
JEL Classification: I12; K36

Acknowledgments

This paper is an updated version of an earlier empirical study related to youth outcomes of domestic violence-related warrantless arrest laws. We are grateful to Catherine Maclean, Michael Leeds, Douglas Webber, Andrew Sfekas, and other colleagues at Temple University, Economics Department for their valuable guidance and suggestions. We would also like to thank participants of APPAM, 2015, Southern Economic Association, 2015, ASHEcon, 2016 and NZAE, 2017 conferences for providing helpful comments. We are solely responsible for all errors committed in this study.

Appendix

Table 11:

Summary information of YRBS variables (sub-components) used to construct individual-level dependent variables.

VariableSurvey QuestionsBinary codingUsed to constructYouthGirlsBoysp-value
Mean (SD)Mean (SD)Mean (SD)(μf −μm)
(μf)(μm)
Serious fightDuring the past 12 months, how many times were you in a physical fight in whichyou were injured and had to be treated by a doctor or nurse?0: Never-0.039 (0.193)0.025 (0.157)0.052 (0.223)0.000
1: At least once
FightDuring the past 12 months, how many times were you in a physical fight?0: NeverViolence index0.315 (0.464)0.240 (0.427)0.394 (0.489)0.000
1: At least once
Carry weaponDuring the past 30 days, on how many days did you carry a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club?0: NeverViolence index0.188 (0.390)0.080 (0.272)0.302 (0.459)0.000
1: At least once
Suicide considerationDuring the past 12 months, did you ever seriously consider attempting suicide?0: NoSuicidal tendency index0.175 (0.379)0.217 (0.412)0.131 (0.337)0.000
1: Yes
Suicide planDuring the past 12 months, did you make a plan about how you would attempt suicide?0: NoSuicidal tendency index0.140 (0.347)0.168 (0.374)0.111 (0.314)0.000
1: Yes
Suicide attemptDuring the past 12 months, how many times did you actually attempt suicide?0: NeverSuicidal tendency index0.088 (0.283)0.107 (0.310)0.067 (0.249)0.000
1: At least once
Smoking daysDuring the past 30 days, on how many days did you smoke cigarettes?0: NeverSubstance use index 10.214 (0.410)0.203 (0.402)0.225 (0.418)0.000
1: At least once
Cigarettes per dayDuring the past 30 days, on the days you smoked, how many cigarettes did you smoke per day?0: NeverSubstance useindex 20.225 (0.417)0.214 (0.410)0.236 (0.425)0.000
1: At least one/day
DrinkingDuring the past 30 days, on how many days did you have at least one drink of alcohol?0: NeverSubstance use index 10.409 (0.492)0.402 (0.490)0.416 (0.493)0.000
1: At least once
Binge-drinkingDuring the past 30 days, on how many days did you have 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row, that is, within a couple of hours?0: NeverSubstance use index 20.246 (0.431)0.222 (0.416)0.271 (0.445)0.000
1: At least once
Chew tobaccoDuring the past 30 days, on how many days did you use chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip, such as Redman, Levi Garrett, Beechnut, Skoal, Skoal Bandits, or Copenhagen?0: NeverSubstance use index 1/20.071 (0.257)0.024 (0.153)0.120 (0.325)0.000
1: At least once
MarijuanaDuring the past 30 days, how many times did you use marijuana?0: NeverSubstance use index 1/20.201 (0.401)0.172 (0.380)0.229 (0.420)0.000
1: At least once
CocaineDuring the past 30 days, how many times did you use any form of cocaine, including powder, crack, or freebase?0: NeverSubstance use index 1/20.037 (0.189)0.028 (0.165)0.047 (0.211)0.000
1: At least once

  1. Note: The descriptive information of individual measures used to construct the youth indicators (see Table 3) in the above table are estimated based on respective regression samples used for each broad indicators.

Table 12:

YRBS regression sample size classified by state-year.

Year

State		199119931995199719992001200320052007200920112013
Alabama24665186399445662149188417431125487260016771897
Alaska--1628---1469-1307134113221226
Arizona-436-1117132410376535763713294640241798
Arkansas-397255523511449168828915812021197713661849
California17451990656200725132320174115902144286519372544
Colorado142263103270-664---199313314
Connecticut--2421910---24762058238420482465
Delaware--216-21622897338226652475238325122712
District of Columbia--518-------324-
Florida1183-5506818665270556450685228577876367047
Georgia49191544634482248942918643511339137377
Hawaii----314----241--
Idaho42014022---1863172616971432215919592140
Illinois41843053334-2314433174993028454746103911
Indiana269----179424171408-280836
Iowa--2452312---15911683-1528-
Kansas-172-205--34319261722222121752131
Kentucky--3541462--160438143936177220372294
Louisiana--769589630-694160-441--
Maine-249153720722021550186413621317906196808885
Maryland215145-830--263140915201637289553,819
Massachusetts-3722741656-258216259736-292-
Michigan-1451123445032113952383535563820372348064749
Minnesota-323-----95-192-304
Mississippi480175117501858219421411478-1964178819182167
Missouri248184544214792203211318081977189317053521873
Montana-25122524244628752905274930463991184141304864
Nebraska24463573----29303748--38151880
Nevada-2023152814611665170019821555177924762102124
New Hampshire25326782088---132112651633148414021617
New Jersey455--74224023613081815695223317672073
New Mexico259664-282-156104-224617--
New York3754932754087404432310,19510,15414,29816,06113,78710,946
North Carolina-273118883415133215254745074086567933942229
North Dakota--1513-18211596166217201761182819071971
Ohio135524555564568227302287---160
Oklahoma---224-399137219392879140811411473
Oregon-188---185-272-250--
Pennsylvania490362675275495-3204332121079465268
Rhode Island---1522751381180123422204320339362437
South Carolina60834664550060515385-88915911235110414831598
South Dakota165013421192160316691609211615831606216215391315
Tennessee-3755-579266612193119412227220929221893
Texas2524136312049532736206626401767161613421828399
Utah456943933280138215031066162718252178158917042186
Vermont141-----257-----
Virginia688-64-761-24635444710016398062
Washington42438083110-54-107-248170195
West Virginia-3114207318121311264174615961633213524181786
Wisconsin-3306-161718792351229526252272312036992833
Wyoming--1683206616112746154424902226288425032997

  1. Note: Highlighted (in bold) states represent sources of variations in YRBS regression analyses related to results reported in Table 8. The above information is based on regression sample used for analysis on substance use indicators. For specific passage years, see Table 1.

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Published Online: 2018-1-23

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