Child Support Enforcement and

Domestic Violence

Angela FertigIrwin GarfinkelSara McLanahan

Prepared for the Fragile Families Summer Data Workshop 2004

Question

Does stricter child support enforcement increase domestic violence among non-cohabiting couples?

Stricter CSEFather’s contact and stress

Mother’s bargaining power

CSE also affects fertility and cohabitation decisions, e.g.

If M’s incentive dominates, more non-cohabiting couples in strict CSE states

In strict states, bigger and “better” pool of non-cohabiting Fs

Selection Bias

Stricter CSEM has incentive to not cohabit

F has incentive to cohabit

“bad”

cohabitingnot cohabiting

Strict CSE“good”

What makes Fragile Families ideal? Sample of non-cohabiting mothers from

different states Rich set of variables:

Violence Child support (effect should differ by status) Welfare (effect should differ by status) Unique controls (like father’s jail time) Baseline father characteristics to control for

selection into non-cohabiting sample (Like father’s commitment)

Sample All mothers at baseline: 4898 All mothers at follow-up: 4365

Married: 1275 Cohabiting: 1264 Not cohabiting: 1800

Non-cohabiting mothers who were romantic at baseline or follow-up 1120

Prevalence:Violence, Order, Welfare

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

SeriouslyHurt after

birth

Hit/ Slap atfollow-up

ChildSupportOrder

ReceivedWelfare

after birth

Means:Demographic Controls

0%

25%

50%

75%

Black

Hispanic

Other

Immigra

nt

HS diploma

Some College

College+

Quit work

ing

Never work

ed

Means:More controls

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Other Kids w

ith F

Other Kids not w

ith F

M&F different r

ace

M lived w

ith both parents

at 15

F suggeste

d abortion

F has been in

jail

F has dru

g/ alcohol p

roblem

Selection Controls:Father’s commitment

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

F interview

F gave $ during pre

gnancy

F helped during pregnancy

F Visits in

Hospita

l

F's name on birt

h certificate

Baby takes F's

last name

F wants

to be involved

Yes to all s

even

Results: CSE increases violence

Seriously Hurtafter the birth

Hit/Slapafter the birth

CSE.004

(.003).006*(.003)

.008*(.004)

.014**(.005)

selection controls

X X

N 1090 1071 1071 1053