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Crime, compulsory schooling laws and education

Bell, Brian, Costa, Rui and Machin, Stephen (2016) Crime, compulsory schooling laws and education. Economics of Education Review, 54. pp. 214-226. ISSN 0272-7757

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Identification Number: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2015.09.007

Abstract

Do compulsory schooling laws reduce crime? Previous evidence for the US from the 1960s and 1970s suggests they do, primarily working through their effect on educational attainment to generate a causal impact on crime. In this paper, we consider whether more recent experience replicates this. There are two key findings. First, there is a strong and consistent negative effect on crime from stricter compulsory schooling laws. Second, there is a weaker and sometimes non-existent link between such laws and educational attainment. As a result, credible causal estimates of the education–crime relationship cannot in general be identified for the more recent period, though they can for some groups with lower education levels (in particular, for blacks).

Item Type: Article
Official URL: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/economics-of-educ...
Additional Information: © 2015 Elsevier
Divisions: Centre for Economic Performance
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
K Law > KD England and Wales
L Education > LB Theory and practice of education
JEL classification: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education
K - Law and Economics > K4 - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior > K42 - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
Date Deposited: 13 Dec 2016 12:15
Last Modified: 07 Mar 2024 06:48
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/68607

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