• Authors: Kathryn J. Edin (Princeton University), Olivia Mann (Princeton University), H. Luke Shaefer (University of Michigan)
• Title: Understanding the relationship between intergenerational mobility and community violence
• Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Researchers have long known that violence can keep communities trapped in cycles of disadvantage. But what if the reverse is also true? A new study suggests that when young people in low-income families struggle to move up the social ladder, it might lead to more violence in their communities.

The study looks at county-level data on young adults born between 1980 and 1986, focusing on those from low-income backgrounds. The researchers used novel county-level data that tracks how well young people were able to improve their economic status as they grew up. They then compared this data to rates of violent crime and homicide in the same counties.

The findings suggest a troubling link: areas where young people had less economic mobility also saw higher levels of violence. 

“This research adds a new layer to our understanding of how economic and social factors intertwine to shape community safety and well-being,” said Kathryn J. Edin, the William Church Osborn Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the co-director of its Center for Research on Child and Family Wellbeing.

The study found that a county's level of economic mobility, as measured by the county-level data known as Chetty-Hendren data, is a major predictor of its violent crime and homicide rates in 2008. This is when the young adults in the study were the same age as when their economic mobility was measured.

Remarkably, the researchers discovered that economic mobility is a much stronger and more consistent predictor of violent crime and homicide than other commonly used factors like poverty, inequality, unemployment, and even the presence of law enforcement. This highlights the importance of creating better economic opportunities for young people as a strategy to reduce violence in communities.

While it's well known that community violence can limit the ability of residents to improve their economic status, this research looks at the reverse: whether low economic mobility can lead to more violence. The study provides evidence supporting this idea and discusses the importance of these findings for shaping policies aimed at reducing violence.

“In the fight against violence, this research shows that we must make every effort to restore the American Dream by meaningfully increasing the children’s chances of economic mobility in every community," said Edin.