More Choice, Less Crime
26 Pages Posted: 28 Dec 2007
Date Written: December 27, 2007
Abstract
Previous research debates whether public school (Tiebout) choice improves students' academic outcomes, but there is little examination of its effects on non-academic outcomes. We use data from a nationally representative sample of high school students, a previously developed public school choice measure, and metropolitan-level data on teenage arrest rates to examine how public school choice affects students' propensity to be arrested or to join a gang. Adolescents in metropolitan areas with more public school choice are less likely to be associated with criminal activity, suggesting that the benefits of public school choice extend outside of the classroom.
Keywords: juvenile crime, school choice
JEL Classification: K4, H52, I22
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation