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How Welfare Policies Affect Adolescents' School Outcomes: A Synthesis of Evidence From Experimental Studies
Author(s) -
Gennetian Lisa A.,
Duncan Greg,
Knox Virginia,
Vargas Wanda,
ClarkKauffman Elizabeth,
London Andrew S.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of research on adolescence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.342
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1532-7795
pISSN - 1050-8392
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-7795.2004.00080.x
Subject(s) - welfare , sibling , affect (linguistics) , psychology , work (physics) , work hours , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , economics , communication , engineering , market economy , mechanical engineering
Using data from 8 random assignment studies and employing meta‐analytic techniques, this article provides systematic evidence that welfare and work policies targeted at low‐income parents have small adverse effects on some school outcomes among adolescents ages 12 to 18 years at follow‐up. These adverse effects were observed mostly for school performance outcomes and occurred in programs that required mothers to work or participate in employment‐related activities and those that encouraged mothers to work voluntarily. The most pronounced negative effects on school outcomes occurred for the group of adolescents who had a younger sibling, possibly because of the increased home and sibling care responsibilities they assumed as their mothers increased their employment.