Making a NARCO: Childhood Exposure to Illegal Labor Markets and Criminal Life Paths
研究发现，童年时期接触非法劳动力市场（如秘鲁古柯种植）会形成行业特定人力资本，使儿童走上犯罪道路；受影响的儿童成年后因暴力和毒品相关犯罪入狱的概率增加约30%，而鼓励上学的现金转移计划可缓解这一效应。
This paper provides evidence that exposure to illegal labor markets during childhood leads to the formation of industry‐specific human capital at an early age, putting children on a criminal life path. Using the timing of U.S. antidrug policies, I show that when the return to illegal activities increases in coca suitable areas in Peru, parents increase the use of child labor for coca farming, putting children on a criminal life path. Using administrative records, I show that affected children are about 30% more likely to be incarcerated for violent and drug‐related crimes as adults. No effect in criminality is found for individuals that grow up working in places where the coca produced goes primarily to the legal sector, suggesting that it is the accumulation of human capital specific to the illegal industry that fosters criminal careers. However, the rollout of a conditional cash transfer program that encourages schooling mitigates the effects of exposure to illegal industries, providing further evidence on the mechanisms.