Children who are are older when they start school may do well academically and socially in the short-term - but are more likely to abandon their studies and commit crimes as teenagers . A team of US researchers studied the impact that starting kindergarten has on children born 60 days before , and 60 days after the cut-off start date . And they found these negative outcomes are significantly more likely for children from disadvantaged backgrounds . Children who are are older when they start kindergarten ( a stock image is shown ) are more likely to do well academically and socially in the short-term , but are also more likely to abandon their studies and commit crimes when they are teenagers , a new study has claimed . Philip Cook , a professor in Duke University ’ s Sanford School of Public Policy and lead author of the study , said : ‘ This research provides the first compelling evidence of a causal link between dropout and crime . ‘ It supports the view that crime outcomes should be considered in evaluating school reforms . ‘ Dropouts are greatly over-represented in prison , so we know there is a strong association between dropping out and crime . ‘ But to establish causation requires an experiment . My analysis takes advantage of nature 's experiment associated with birth date. ’ Professor Cook and Songman Kang of Hanyang University in Seoul , South Korea carried out the research , published in American Economic Journal-Applied Economics . It is said to be the first study to link dropping out of school , and crime . The study compared North Carolina public school students born 60 days before , and 60 days after the school cut-off date . At the time of the study , children in the state had to turn five by October 16 to be eligible to enter kindergarten that year . Old-for-grade students are more likely to be convicted of a crime before age 20 , the study said . A stock image of a young drink driver is shown . Children typically attend kindergarten when they are five or six year 's old . Previous studies have established that children born just after the school-entry cut-off date and are ‘ old for grade , ’ perform better academically than their younger classmates . This has led to some parents trying to gain an academic advantage for children whose birthdays fall shortly before the cut-off date , by enrolling them later . In addition to performing better academically , Professor Cook 's study found old-for-grade students were one-third less likely to engage in delinquent behaviour while still in school . ‘ Up until the 16th birthday , it is all positive , ’ he said . ‘ They are doing better , relative to their classmates , by every measure . 'It makes sense , because they are more mature. ’ However , after the age of 16 , the picture shifts . The old-for-grade students are more likely to drop out and be convicted of a crime before age 20 , the study said . The explanation for the behavioural change lies in the age at which students may legally withdraw from school , which is 16 in North Carolina . ‘ If they were born before the cut-off date , they have just 19 months between their 16th birthday and graduation to be tempted to drop out , ’ he said . ‘ If they were born just after and enter school later , they have 31 months , and for some of them , it is an irresistible temptation. ’ ‘ It 's human nature , ' Professor Cook said . ‘ For a lot of adolescents , high school is a drag. ’ Among the old-for-grade students , the likelihood of dropping out and being convicted of a serious crime is almost three-and-half times greater for those born to an unwed mother and just over two-and-a-half times greater for those whose mothers were high school dropouts .
Research looked at children starting kindergarten in North Carolina . Those who join closer to the age of six than five are called 'old-for-grade ' These 'old-for-grade ' children did best academically at school until 16 . Study also found they were a 16th less likely to engage in delinquent behaviour while still in school . But were more likely to drop out and commit of a crime after the age of 16 .