zlacker

>>fortra+(OP)
Or thanks to the end of leaded gasoline, or the advent of legalized abortion, or some combination of the three, or none of this. The only evidence in this article is one serial killer they maybe tracked down after 25 years of searching.

>>boombo+Of
Why would legalized abortion reduce the rate of serial killers?

>>jncfhn+Ok
This is an argument popularized in the book “Freakanomics.” The authors presented data that correlated the legalization of abortion to reduced crime rates 16-18 years later (young men disproportionately commit crime, especially violent crime.) This was ascribed to less unwanted children being raised in bad circumstances.

Later research showed a (I believe even stronger) link between leaded gasoline being phased out and reduced crime later. Environmental lead is well known to have psychological effects, including an increased propensity for violence.

I think the general belief is that environmental lead had the stronger effect, but legalized abortion can’t entirely be counted out, but I’m hardly an expert and I suspect it is all still under debate.