Does Placing Children in Out-of-Home Care Affect Their Future Criminality?

Children unable to live at home due to difficult conditions or due to their own risky behavior may be placed in out-of-home care by social services. Separating a child from his or her family represents a major intervention that requires careful consideration regarding the risks and benefits for the family and the child.

In this report, economist Matthew Lindquist presents an overview of the research on the effects of out-of-home-care on future criminal behavior. Based on lessons from this research, he presents recommendations for improving social care that would benefit not only the ones cared for but also society at large.

The report is part of the SNS research project Crime and Society.

Matthew J. Lindquist is a professor of labor economics at the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) at Stockholm University.