Cost Comparisons of Raising a Child from Birth to 17 Years among Samples of Abused, Delinquent, Violent, and Homicidal Youth Using Victimization and Justice System Estimates

• Published in: Psychological reports Vol. 104; no. 1; pp. 309 - 338
• Main Authors: Zagar, Agata Karolina, Bartikowski, Boris, Zagar, Robert John, Busch, Kenneth G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.02.2009
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Child; Child Abuse - economics; Child Abuse - psychology; Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Child Rearing - psychology; Crime - economics; Crime - statistics & numerical data; Crime Victims - economics; Crime Victims - statistics & numerical data; Criminal Law - economics; Criminal Law - methods; Criminal Law - statistics & numerical data; Homicide - psychology; Homicide - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Juvenile Delinquency - legislation & jurisprudence; Juvenile Delinquency - psychology; Juvenile Delinquency - statistics & numerical data; Social Environment; Substance-Related Disorders - economics; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Urban Population; Violence - legislation & jurisprudence; Violence - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 0033-2941; 1558-691X
• DOI: 10.2466/PR0.104.1.309-338

Data from youth studied by Zagar and colleagues were randomly sampled to create groups of controls and abused, delinquent, violent, and homicidal youth (n = 30 in each). Estimated costs of raising a nondelinquent youth from birth to 17 yr. were compared with the average costs incurred by other youth in each group. Estimates of living expenses, direct and indirect costs of victimization, and criminal justice system expenditures were summed. Groups differed significantly on total expenses, victimization costs, and criminal justice expenditures. Mean total costs for a homicidal youth were estimated at $3,935,433, while those for a control youth were $150,754. Abused, delinquent, and violent youth had average total expenses roughly double the total mean costs of controls. Prevention of dropout, alcoholism, addiction, career delinquency, or homicide justifies interception and empirical treatment on a cost-benefit basis, but also based on the severe personal costs to the victims and to the youth themselves.