THE EFFECTS OF STATUTORY RAPE LAWS ON NONMARITAL TEENAGE CHILDBEARING |
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| Authors: | CHRISTOPHER A JEPSEN LISA K JEPSEN |
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| Institution: | C. Jepsen:;Research Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California, 500 Washington Street, Suite 800, San Francisco, CA 94111. Phone 1-415-291-4479, Fax 1-415-291-4428, E-mail L. Jepsen:;Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Northern Iowa, CBB 208, Cedar Falls, IA, 50614. Phone 1-319-273-2592, Fax 1-319-273-2922, E-mail |
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| Abstract: | Many policy makers view the enforcement of statutory rape laws as a way to reduce teenage childbirths. This article considers whether unmarried teenage girls covered by a state statutory rape law are less likely to give birth than girls who are not covered by a statutory rape law. The presence of statutory rape laws is negatively correlated with nonmarital birthrates for white females but is not a significant predictor for black or Hispanic females. In contrast, the enforcement of statutory rape laws has a deterrent effect on teen childbearing for blacks and Hispanics but not for whites. (JEL J13, K14 ) |
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