The Lifelong Learner :: Do what you can, with what you have, where you are -Roosevelt ::

What does abortion have to do with crime?

If you’ve read Freakonomics, which I’m currently enjoying listening to, you would know. It’s fascinating to hear. And you would not think it is true. But it is, and the authors have reasonable evidence to support it. Okay already, what is it?

Abortion reduces crime. In a big way, actually. What? You might be wondering. Actually, it does. Why? Because woman that usually have an abortion decide that they cannot raise the child, or are in a difficult situation (on drugs, etc). A lot of those times, if it weren’t for abortion, they would raise a kid that would be more likely to commit a crime.

This theory has been tested in several states in America. They did not know why crime was falling in America in the 1990s. Almost everywhere in US. They thought it was because of the booming economy, which doesn’t have too much to do with it. It turns out that because legalized abortion was put in place in the 1970s, in 1990s when they would become adults, the crime started falling. Want more support for this theory? In those states that had enacted legalized abortion two years earlier, crime started falling earlier. That’s no coincidence.

Isn’t that fascinating?

I recommend reading/listening to Freakonomics to find our this and other stories like that. It’s a very good book and a quick listen.