Study links better education rate, lower crime rate

San Gabriel Valley Tribune ^ | December 15, 2007 | Caroline An

[WayneLusvardi]

Study links better graduation rate, lower crime rate

By Caroline An, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 12/13/2007 10:00:49 PM PST

PASADENA - Raising high school graduation rates by just 10 percent could reduce homicides and aggravated assaults by 20 percent statewide, according to a report released Thursday that links graduation rates to crime rates.

A 10-percent increase in the number of high school graduates could translate into 500 fewer murders and more than 20,000 fewer assaults in California each year, according to the report, "School or the Streets: Crime and California's Dropout Crisis."

In Los Angeles County, that would mean 214 fewer homicides and 7,241 fewer aggravated assaults, the report compiled by Fight Crime said. Fight Crime is a nonprofit organization made up of police chiefs, prosecutors and other law-enforcement officials.

[WayneLusvardi]

This study is apparently funded by same group that failed at passing a universal pre-school initiative on the California ballot. Now they are apparently back selling pre-school as an anti-crime measure but do not disclose who they are or their funding source.

But is pre-school really linked with low crime? Any one know?

[babygene]

“In Los Angeles County, that would mean 214 fewer homicides and 7,241 fewer aggravated assaults, the report compiled by Fight Crime said. Fight Crime is a nonprofit organization made up of police chiefs, prosecutors and other law-enforcement officials.”

Except that this is not going to happen. Illegals that can’t speak English are not going to become better educated...

[Brad from Tennessee]

I’m sure there is a correlation. If the kid is in school he gets in less trouble than if he is on the street. Unless he is in an East St. Louis or New Orleans public school.

[taxesareforever]

And I thought the consensus was that abortion lowered crime rate. /s

[kenavi]

So if we pass more students they will commit fewer crimes!

[paudio]

Does it mean that if we lower the standard for graduation, hence increases the graduation rates, we will get lower crime rates as well?

[Colonel Kangaroo]

You don't have to be a math major to know that correlation does not equal causation. History and just a little enlightened common sense would suggest that the old moral virtues of hard work, self-denial, respect for your fellow man and responsibility to God lead both to higher educational achievement and less crime.

The mix of a little statistics with a strong leftist mindset is a a dangerous brew.

[kittymyrib]

Duh...woulda thunk it? This study should have been chaired by Captain Obvious.
It reminds me of back in the 80s when a reporter was interviewing a Dallas resident after a Cowboy Super Bowl Victory Parade had turned violent, and the lady said, “I don’t know why all these hoodlums are out in the street. They should be in school today.” In many places in our country, “education” is just a cheap method of incarceration for 8 hours a day. It costs a lot less to keep the thugs in school than in prison.

[PeteB570]

I think it is circling the truth. A meaningful and good education will lower the crime rate.

But just spending time in a public school system and getting a diploma that means you only know how to write your name will not.

[Bernard]

Does it mean that if we lower the standard for graduation, hence increases the graduation rates, we will get lower crime rates as well?

Absolutely, as long as that means that these graduates can read and write, fill out a job application, get married, spend disposable income on the expenses of raising their children instead of recreational drugs, and so on, and so on, and so on....

[rogue yam]

This reminds me of the scene near the end of The Wizard of Oz. These kids are already plenty smart, educated, and accultured. They just need a diploma!

[mtbopfuyn]

Well, duh. How many of my tax dollars was wasted on this?

[Smogger]