Condoms vs. crime.

[otak]

Contraception use can cut crime: there's a statistically significant relationship between greater use of contraception and decreased crime 17 years later [...] Where contraception isn't used, there'll be more unwanted births. And unwanted children are more likely to commit crime
It seems that if you allow people to choose when to reproduce, they'll

Comments

[rachel2205]

I presume that the statistics from that paper come from American case studies. America, as a first world nation, isn't a country to which the statement "if you allow people to choose when to reproduce" is applicable. It's true that there are sections of the United States where use of contraceptives is frowned upon, but overall, the US is one of the biggest users of contraception. I am presuming that here what you are implying is that "choice" means something broader than "availability" and "freedom". I would say that availability of contraception/abortion and reduced crime rates are linked more closely by choices relating to education and social norms rather than, say, by simply blanketing an area in condoms, ticker-tape style.

[otak]

The data on contraceptive use is from the 1970s, so current patterns of use don't really apply. That said, even if they're legal and freely available, the state and society can do a lot to encourage or discourage people from choosing to use contraceptives. This is especially true for young and poor people, who may not be aware of or able to afford contraceptives.

I would say that availability of contraception/abortion and reduced crime rates are linked more closely by choices relating to education and social norms rather than, say, by simply blanketing an area in condoms, ticker-tape style.

Well the paper is arguing that the level of contraception directly contributes to the level of crime. The paper suggests, for instance, that promoting contraceptives is cheaper in the long run than incarceration for criminals. Levitt makes the same argument about abortion in America, and there's apparently a study of Romania that backs him up. The argument doesn't seem particularly implausible to me.