Sexual Violence against Women and Labor Market Outcomes
Joseph J. Sabia, Angela K. Dills, Jeffrey DeSimone
American Economic Review · 2013 · Volume 103 · Issue 3
Abstract
This study is the first in the economics literature to explore the labor market consequences of sexual violence toward women. Using data from the Add Health, we find that sexual violence against women is associated with a 6.6 percent lower probability of labor force participation and 5.1 percent lower average wages. These estimates are robust to controls for unobserved heterogeneity at the school- and family-levels, as well as detailed controls for personality, personal discount rates, and risk preferences. We find that the adverse labor market effects of sexual violence are partially explained by its adverse psychological and physical consequences.
Keywords
Health Production, Economics of Gender, Non-labor Discrimination, Human Capital, Skills, Occupational Choice, Labor Productivity, Wage Level and Structure, Wage Differentials, Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
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