We assess the extent to which the large sibling correlations in substance use are causal. Our primary approach is based on a joint dynamic model of the behavior of older and younger siblings that allows for family specific effects, individual specific heterogeneity, and state dependence. We use the model to simulate the dynamic response of substance use to the behavior of the older sibling. Overall, we find that substance use is affected by the example of older siblings, but only a small fraction of the sibling correlation is causal.
Authors
Associate Director
Sarah is an Associate Director in the Education and Skills sector at the IFS, holding a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Joseph Altonji
Iain Ware
Journal article details
- DOI
- 10.3368/jhr.52.1.0714-6474R1
- Publisher
- The University of Wisconsin Press
- Issue
- May 2016
Suggested citation
J, Altonji and S, Cattan and I, Ware. (2016). 'Identifying sibling influence on teenage substance behavior' (2016)
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