Lead Poisoning and Violent Crime
The purpose of this report is to compare the correlation between lower levels of lead pollution and the recent decrease of violent crime. It will include arguments and evidence supporting the supposition that crime is caused by lead poisoning as well as counterarguments and evidence, arguing against there being such a link.
The Link Between Lead Poisoning and Crime
During times of recession, it is not uncommon for rates of crime to increase. Therefore it may seem surprising that this is not what is shown by recent statistics. In the article ”America's Real Criminal Element: Lead”, published by Mother Jones in January of 2013, Kevin Drum compares crime to an epidemic caused by one molecule: lead. The impairments …show more content…
Yet, not everyone agree that these effects must turn out to be violent. Different kinds of phenomena are what pushes people into committing crime; this has nothing to do with the nature of their brain tissue, notes Dominic Casciani in the article ”Did removing lead from petrol spark a decline in crime?” for BBC on the 21st of April 2014. Furthermore, there are faults to be found within the statement declaring there to be a 20 year pattern. On the 24th of April 2014 Mark Kleiman writes for samefacts.com, claiming there to be a hole in the correlation between lead poisoning and violent crime. The original theory would predict crime to decline in birth cohorts exposed to less lead, which has not been the case. On the contrary, there are no parallels connecting specific cohorts to lead levels. Thus, there have to be other explanations besides lead removal to explain the crime rates decreasing. For instance policing and surveillance have made big improvements as of late. Combined with the development of social programs in order to engage youths before they step out of line, society has advanced and is now preventing crimes from occurring in the first
The purpose of this report is to compare the correlation between lower levels of lead pollution and the recent decrease of violent crime. It will include arguments and evidence supporting the supposition that crime is caused by lead poisoning as well as counterarguments and evidence, arguing against there being such a link.
The Link Between Lead Poisoning and Crime
During times of recession, it is not uncommon for rates of crime to increase. Therefore it may seem surprising that this is not what is shown by recent statistics. In the article ”America's Real Criminal Element: Lead”, published by Mother Jones in January of 2013, Kevin Drum compares crime to an epidemic caused by one molecule: lead. The impairments …show more content…
Yet, not everyone agree that these effects must turn out to be violent. Different kinds of phenomena are what pushes people into committing crime; this has nothing to do with the nature of their brain tissue, notes Dominic Casciani in the article ”Did removing lead from petrol spark a decline in crime?” for BBC on the 21st of April 2014. Furthermore, there are faults to be found within the statement declaring there to be a 20 year pattern. On the 24th of April 2014 Mark Kleiman writes for samefacts.com, claiming there to be a hole in the correlation between lead poisoning and violent crime. The original theory would predict crime to decline in birth cohorts exposed to less lead, which has not been the case. On the contrary, there are no parallels connecting specific cohorts to lead levels. Thus, there have to be other explanations besides lead removal to explain the crime rates decreasing. For instance policing and surveillance have made big improvements as of late. Combined with the development of social programs in order to engage youths before they step out of line, society has advanced and is now preventing crimes from occurring in the first