870 
FIGURE 42.7. Measures of adolescent behaviors for male dropouts, GED recipients, and high school 
graduates: (a) smoking and drinking, (b) sex and violent behavior, (c) criminal behavior. Sources: Heck -
man et al. (2014, Chapter 3), NLSY79, NLSY97, National Educational Longitudinal Survey. Note: 
Minor crime includes vandalism, shoplifting, petty theft, fraud, holding or selling stolen goods. Major 
crime includes auto theft, breaking/entering private property, grand theft. Violent crime includes fight -
ing, assault, aggravated assault. Tests of significance: The estimates for GED recipients and high school 
graduates are statistically significantly different at the 5% level for all variables. The estimates for 
dropouts and high school graduates are statistically significantly different at the 5% level for all vari -
ables, except for “Minor Crime (NLSY79)” and “Drinks by 14 (NLSY97).” The estimates of “Smokes 
by 14 (NLSY97),” “Drinks by 14 (NLSY97),” and “Theft by 14 (NLSY97)” between GED recipients 
and dropouts are statistically significantly different at the 5% level.
0 .2 .4 .6
Smokes
by 15
(NLSY79)Drinks
by 15
(NLSY79)Smokes
by 14
(NLSY97)Drinks
by 14
(NLSY97)Smokes
Gr.8
(NELS)Binge Drinks
Gr.10
(NELS)A
Drop
GED
HSG
+/− S.E.0 .2 .4 .6
Sex
by 15
(NLSY79)Fight
by 14
(NLSY97)Gang
by 14
(NLSY97)School Fight
Gr.8
(NELS)B
Drop
GED
HSG
+/− S.E.0 .2 .4 .6 .8
Minor
Crime
(NLSY79)Major
Crime
(NLSY79)Violent
Crime
(NLSY79)Arrested
by 14
(NLSY97)Prop Crime
by 14
(NLSY97)Theft
by 14
(NLSY97)C
Drop
GED
HSG
+/− S.E.