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Abortion and Crime

Joanna Guerrero

South Texas College

ORGL- 4342- Organizational Change

Dr. Amadita Zamora

August 19, 2022

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Abstract

Abortion and crime are separate entities, but recent developments have established a connection

between the two aspects. The articles’ focus was on the relationship between abortion and crime.

Various sources conducted studies in other countries that seek to establish the impact of abortion

after its legalization. The United States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, and Romania

experienced the same effect from abortion, which was significantly linked to the reduced crime

rates a decade or two after the legalization of abortion. Additionally, different perspectives

further support the relationship between abortion and crime. One is the abortion demographics;

all the studies focus on the following subjects: teenagers, rape victims, women in low-income

households, and general unwanted pregnancies. The reason for focusing on such demographics is

that they are also tied to a crime. According to the literature review, most abortion demographics

are connected to a period of turmoil, be it war, poverty, or other hardships that impact the

decision to keep a child. The decision to stay a child relies on the mother, and if they decide to

support and raise a child in a challenging environment, the offspring are likely to engage in

crime. If a child lacks education and experiences a low-quality life, they will have no option

other than to engage in criminal activities to survive. Therefore, choosing to keep an unwanted

pregnancy or abort significantly impacts our societies. Abortion has a relationship with crime,

but at the same time, it is essential to consider other variables, such as poverty and other

hardships.

Keywords: Abortion, Crime, Legalization, Duality Theory, Unwanted Pregnancies.

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Abortion and Crime

Abortion is the termination of pregnancy. The process involves the removal of the

embryo before its full development and completion of the gestation period. Abortion occurs for a

variety of reasons, and the decision to terminate a pregnancy may be made by certified medical

experts or, in some cases, by unqualified persons. Crime is an unusual behavior that deserves

punishment or penalty, as common law stipulates. These two aspects are essential in every

society, mainly because they are closely tied to the laws of various countries. Abortion is legal in

some areas and illegal in others because of different principles that argue for the sanctity of life.

Some actions are considered a crime in some areas, and the same acts are not criminal in other

places. The fact that abortion and crime have a connection because it is unexpected, but recent

developments indicate a relationship between abortion and crime.

Theoretical Framework

Abortion and crime are two distinct entities but have an established relationship. The

duality makes it necessary to use the duality theory. The duality theory is centered around the

benefits of bringing together contradictory factors, in this case, looking at how abortion impacts

crime (Graetz & Smith, 2009). Another organizational theory is the stage theory which posits

that a series of stages is necessary before the change is experienced. The Stage theory is closely

related to duality theory because of the emphasis on the change as the product (Hussain et al.,

2018). However, it is not effective in this situation. Lewin’s change theory could have been

valid, but it also focuses on steps leading to change. The only similarity between duality theory

and stage theory is that the product is recognized. Research focuses on the relationship between

abortion and crime, on the result. Since these are only two variables, duality is the best

theoretical framework.
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Literature Review

Abortion is not expected to have any impact on crime, but the reality is that that is the

case. Abortion is associated with low-income areas, and in the same regions, there is much crime

because of the poverty levels and living standards (Donohue & Levitt, 2021). The abortion

demographics were an essential aspect of this study; women who had an abortion were identified

as unmarried, young, and poor. It is logical to conclude that if these women had these children,

they would not be able to provide the basic needs, such as education, which put their children at

higher risk of crime. Therefore, the legalization of abortion in the 1970s reduced the number of

children that could have been in circumstances that would expose them to hardships and

corruption.

Donohue & Levitt conducted a study, and the results helped to conclude that making

abortion legal reduced the crime rate. It was hypothesized by Donohue and Levitt (2020) that the

decriminalization of abortion in the early 1970s was a significant factor in the dramatic decrease

in crime that occurred in the 1990s. The study which helped them come to these conclusions was

a follow-up to a previous study that was completed in 2001, which looked at the impact of the

legalization of abortion on national crime rates. The duo further predicts that since more states

continue to make abortion legal, it will help reduce crime rates in the future. Donohue & Levitt

(2020) stated, “Our results suggest that all else equal, legalized abortion will account for

persistent declines of 1% a year in crime over the next two decades.” (p. 1). Their estimations

suggest that legalized abortion reduced crime by 50% from 1991 to 2014. The concluding

remarks of this study support the fact that abortion relates to crime in specific instances.

A better way to understand the relationship between abortion and crime is to look at the

abolition and legalization of abortion. The study by Hjalmarsson et al. (2021) focuses on the
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legality of abortion in Romania in 1989 and its revocation of it in 1966. The primary objective

was to investigate the relationship between abortion and criminal behavior. Researchers can

clearly detect the impact of abortion availability on crime by comparing birth month cohorts born

on each side of the reform cut-offs, as stated by Hjalmarsson et al. (2021).  Romania's crime

rates and risky conduct were dramatically impacted by the reforms, legalization, and eradication

of abortion. This source admits that abortion has an impact on population sizes and crime levels

but disputes the causal connection between abortion and crime. As a result, this source attests to

the fact that abortion indirectly influences criminality.

Another way to investigate the connection between abortion and criminal activity is to

concentrate on the mothers, given that they are the primary topic of this conversation. “Risky

Moms, Risky Kids?” is research by Chevalier and Marie that looks at the dynamics of fertility

and crime after the wall of Berlin fell. The article suggests that a woman should carefully

consider whether to have an abortion, regardless of other factors such as her level of education or

her financial situation. The decision to have children during a time of upheaval will invariably

influence those children. According to Chevalier and Marie (2022), their research explains why

some women did not change their reproductive choices during these tumultuous economic times,

how this risk preference was passed down to their offspring, and how this risk preference is

linked to criminal activity. Therefore, providing support for the contention that there is a

connection between abortion and illegal activity.

There are different approaches in which scholars establish the impact of abortion, some

directly connect abortion to crime, and others take a generalized approach. Corrales (2022) looks

at the benefits of the legalization of abortion in the Philippines. Just as it has been discussed by

other scholars focusing on other countries, abortion in the Philippines was legalized in 1987. The
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legalization of abortion was meant to help young women, poor women, victims of rape, or

general unwanted pregnancies. Regarding the benefits of abortion, there are many, such as better

health, but the most are the ability to reduce crimes. Further research has revealed that over time,

states with legalized abortion also see a decline in crime. This is another instance that confirms

abortion has a relationship with crime.

Results and Discussion

The economics of abortion is the anchor point of the discussion of how abortion is related

to crime. The main interest in this discussion is how abortion benefits individuals and societies or

the drawbacks that abortion presents in the community. The duality theory helps to understand

the relationship between abortion and crime better because these two aspects are independent but

also establish a link that cannot be ignored. Most sources provided arguments based on the

period when abortion was legalized or abolished. This does not mean that previously, women did

not engage in abortion practices; it did happen but was less safe. Thus, even before

understanding the relationship between abortion and crime, it is essential to note the

circumstances that lead to abortion. The relationship between crime and abortion has been

established by various sources, whether directly or indirectly. The common theme is that mothers

who do not take on abortion place their children at risk of engaging in crime due to economic

turmoil or lack of education.

Young women, rape victims, women in low-income households, and teenagers are some

subjects associated with abortion, meaning that abortion may be the only way out. Connecting

this argument to crime, it is impossible to deny that abortion is linked to crime. Chevalier &

Marie (2022) discussed moms’ decisions; despite the demographics, the country, or any other

variable, women should understand the risk of giving birth during a period of turmoil. The
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children may not have a healthy life, they may not receive an appropriate education, and the

youngsters will become involved in criminal activity because of the economic disadvantages.

Donohue and Levitt’s (2001) research were conducted for 20yrs from the 1970s to the 1990s.

The subsequent analysis was conducted from 1991 to 2014.

It is essential to understand the various dynamics that interact with abortion. Shoesmith

(2017) posited that the number of teenage mothers is a genuine concern, not the number of

unwanted pregnancies. An adolescent mother cannot raise a child effectively, especially without

a helping hand. According to Shoesmith (2017), this data demonstrates that if there is a

meaningful relationship between criminality and abortion, it is due to state-specific variations in

the proportion of teenage abortions, not to undesired pregnancies. Therefore, the relationship

between crime and abortion is undeniable. The relationship between abortion and crime is clear,

legalized abortion significantly reduces crime, and this happens because of various aspects. First

teenage mothers have been discussed as the core element in how abortion relates to crime.

Teenagers lack the maternal instinct to raise children properly; they need to go to school

and build a career, and this becomes almost impossible if they are mothers, there will be divided

attention. Additionally, the poverty or income levels also dictate how abortion impacts crime. If

a young lady from a well-off family becomes pregnant, she will get support from the family, and

the unborn child will have an inheritance and proper education; thus, there will be no need to

engage in crime when the child transitions to adulthood. Therefore, the mothers’ age and poverty

level command the relationship between abortion and crime.

Conclusion
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The relationship between abortion and crime is supported by the various resources

utilized in this research. Every author had different approaches but concluded that abortion is

related to crime. Evidence from multiple countries such as the United States, United Kingdom,

Romania, and the Philippines indicate that when abortion was legalized in the respective

countries, it came with its benefits. A few years after the legalization of abortion, the crime rates

in the different countries significantly reduced, and this change is credited to abortions. The main

argument is closely tied to the abortion demographics, which are rape victims, teenage

pregnancies, women in low incomes areas, and general unwanted pregnancies. The abortion

demographics indicate that when children are born in the various demographics, they are likely

to live low-quality lives, focusing on the ability of mothers to provide education, basic needs,

and other requirements for the development of the children. One of the sources emphasized the

importance of women deciding to keep pregnancies. Risk Moms, Risky Kids is the hypothesis

that the risk preference of keeping pregnancies in periods of turmoil results in risky kids. All the

sources in the literature review supported the hypothesis, but there is a need for future research.

All the studies were conducted in the 90s, and the reduced crime might be due to another reason,

globalization. Therefore, to confirm that abortion reduces the crime rate, further research needs

to be conducted to identify the impact of abortion in 10 to 20 years.

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References

Chevalier, A., & Marie, O. (2022, April 15). Risky moms, risky kids? fertility, and crime after

the fall of the wall. SSRN. Retrieved August 17, 2022, from

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4082588 

Corrales, R. M. A. (2022). The benefits of legalization of abortion in the Philippines. RMC Law

Journal. https://rmc.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/04-Corrales-Article.pdf

Donohue III, J. J., & Levitt, S. D. (2001). The impact of legalized abortion on crime. The

Quarterly Journal of Economics, 116(2), 379-420. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2696468

Donohue, J. J., & Levitt, S. (2020). The impact of legalized abortion on crime over the last two

decades. American Law and Economics Review, 22(2), 241-302.

https://law.stanford.edu/publications/the-impact-of-legalized-abortion-on-crime-over-the-

last-two-decades/

Hjalmarsson, R., Mitrut, A., & Pop-Eleches, C. (2021). The impact of abortion on crime and

crime-related behavior. Journal of Public Economics, 200, 104468.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0047272721001043

Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hussain, S. H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin’s

change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in

organizational change. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 3(3), 123-127.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2444569X16300087
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Shoesmith, G. L. (2017). Crime, teenage abortion, and unwantedness. Crime & Delinquency,

63(11), 1458-1490. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0011128715615882