“Leaving No Child Behind:” Preferences for Social Inclusion and Altruism

Social inclusion is a priority item of international policy agendas. However, little is known about households’ preferences for policies aiming at social inclusion. We implement a household survey in both northern and southern Italy to investigate preferences for financing rehabilitation programs for juvenile offenders, a particularly vulnerable group exposed to social exclusion. We find that although societies can be equally socially inclusive, families’ propensity towards “leaving no child behind” varies depending on the presence of children in the family, and household income. We also show that differences in preferences do not depend only on socio-demographic characteristics but also on the subjective concern about crime risk, the immigration rate as well as on altruistic motives. Our results guide the implementation of policies promoting social inclusion across regions.