Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

In the 1980s, Peru was marred by a gruesome civil conflict that persisted for over a decade. This paper looks at the impact of exposure to conflict at different stages of childhood on criminal activity later in life. To identify effects, I exploit the temporal and geographic variation in the spread of the war across Peru. Using the birth year and birth location information from the 2016 national penitentiary population census and the 2016 national household survey data, I estimate how exposure to war during different ages affects long-term criminal behavior. I find evidence that exposure to conflict during primary school ages for men increases their probability of incarceration in adulthood. Unlike other evidences on the long-term impacts of war, exposure in utero or during early childhood does not seem to explain criminal behavior as adults in this context.