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Research ArticleArticle

Grandparents, Moms, or Dads? Why children of teen mothers do worse in life

Anna Aizer, Paul Devereux and Kjell Salvanes
Published online before print November 10, 2020, 1019-10524R2; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.58.2.1019-10524R2
Anna Aizer
Anna Aizer is Professor of Economics at Brown University and an affiliate of NBER. Paul J. Devereux if Professor of Economics at the School of Economics and Geary Institute, University College Dublin and an affiliate of NHH, CEPR, and IZA. Kjell G. Salvanes is Professor of Economics at the Norwegian School of Economics and an affiliate of CEPR, HCEO, and IZA.
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Paul Devereux
Anna Aizer is Professor of Economics at Brown University and an affiliate of NBER. Paul J. Devereux if Professor of Economics at the School of Economics and Geary Institute, University College Dublin and an affiliate of NHH, CEPR, and IZA. Kjell G. Salvanes is Professor of Economics at the Norwegian School of Economics and an affiliate of CEPR, HCEO, and IZA.
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Kjell Salvanes
Anna Aizer is Professor of Economics at Brown University and an affiliate of NBER. Paul J. Devereux if Professor of Economics at the School of Economics and Geary Institute, University College Dublin and an affiliate of NHH, CEPR, and IZA. Kjell G. Salvanes is Professor of Economics at the Norwegian School of Economics and an affiliate of CEPR, HCEO, and IZA.
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Abstract

We explore whether and why children born to teen mothers have worse outcomes later in life. Using Norwegian register data, we compare outcomes of children of sisters who have first births at different ages. We find that the causal effect of being a child of a teen mother is much smaller than that implied by the cross-sectional differences but that there are probably still significant long-term, adverse consequences, especially for children born to the youngest teen mothers. We have information on fathers and find that negative selection of fathers of children born to teen mothers plays an important role in producing inferior child outcomes. These effects are particularly large for mothers from higher socio-economic groups.

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Journal of Human Resources: 60 (3)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 60, Issue 3
1 May 2025
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Grandparents, Moms, or Dads? Why children of teen mothers do worse in life
Anna Aizer, Paul Devereux, Kjell Salvanes
Journal of Human Resources Nov 2020, 1019-10524R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.58.2.1019-10524R2

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Grandparents, Moms, or Dads? Why children of teen mothers do worse in life
Anna Aizer, Paul Devereux, Kjell Salvanes
Journal of Human Resources Nov 2020, 1019-10524R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.58.2.1019-10524R2
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