The Ripple Effect of Youth Adversity: Economic and Health Impacts on Families

Abstract

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals highlight two crises facing children today: preventable deaths and exposure to violence. This thesis examines the multifaceted impacts of these health shocks for youth victims, their families, and broader social networks. Across four distinct papers, the focus is centered on youth suicide and traffic fatalities, assault victimisation, and family violence. Leveraging New Zealand’s comprehensive population-wide administrative data, the analysis delves into these relatively unexplored topics through linking affected children to their parents and peers, and closely following a range of high-frequency economic, social, and health outcomes in the months surrounding the event. Using two empirical methodologies, this research offers new evidence on the short- and long-term effects of these life-altering events for those affected by them.