The effect of violent crime on teenage pregnancy in Mexico

Magda Tsaneva and Pinar Gunes

Review of Economics of the Household, 2020, vol. 18, issue 1, No 7, 164 pages

Abstract: Abstract This paper explores the effect of violent crime on teenage pregnancy in Mexico using data from a nationally representative longitudinal survey conducted before and after an unexpected surge in violence. In order to identify the effects, we use a triple difference-in-differences strategy exploiting variation in (i) exposure to the surge in violence between sample periods, (ii) the intensity of violence as measured by municipal homicide rates, and (iii) age of different cohorts. We find that the average increase in homicide rates over the study period reduced the probability of teenage pregnancy by approximately 1.5%. We also demonstrate that the effect is more acute among women with worse economic conditions prior to the surge in violence. Analysis of mechanisms shows that reductions in teenage pregnancy is partly explained by changes in the sexual behavior of young women.

Keywords: Violent crime; Teenage pregnancy; Difference-in-differences; Mexico (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D74 I31 J13 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11150-018-9430-4

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