The short-term impact of crime on school enrollment and school choice: evidence from El Salvador

Dahbura, Juan Nelson Martínez (2020) The short-term impact of crime on school enrollment and school choice: evidence from El Salvador. Economía, 18 (2). 121 - 145. ISSN 1529-7470

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Abstract

This paper employs variations in crime rates, attributed to an unprecedented countrywide truce between gangs in El Salvador in 2012, to evaluate the short-term impact of homicides and extortions on the education choices of Salvadoran households. Results reveal that the reduction in homicide rates due to the truce were associated with a migration within the education system, from public to private institutions, among boys aged fifteen to twenty-two years. The fluctuations in homicide rates were also associated with a lower school attendance for girls aged seven to fourteen years, especially due to a lower public school enrollment. No significant association between fluctuations in extortion rates and education choices was observed.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://economia.lse.ac.uk/
Additional Information:	© 2020 LACTEA
Divisions:	LSE
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions L Education > LB Theory and practice of education H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
JEL classification:	D - Microeconomics > D1 - Household Behavior and Family Economics > D13 - Household Production and Intrahousehold Allocation I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education > I20 - General
Date Deposited:	10 Jul 2024 14:15
Last Modified:	11 Sep 2025 11:53
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/123364

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