The case for: Researchers David Finkelhor and Lisa Jones argued that psychiatric medications, such as antidepressants and anti-ADHD drugs, helped decrease violent acts against and by children by improving people’s moods and behavior.
The case against: Richard Rosenfeld of the University of Missouri St. Louis calls this theory plausible, but he says there’s no significant research to support it yet. That doesn’t mean these medications didn’t contribute to the drop, but there’s no evidence at the moment — beyond simple correlation — that they did.
The bottom line: Still unclear. Rosenfeld said the issue needs research, although he wouldn’t put it at the top of his priority list.
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The theory: putting more people in prison helped reduce crime
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The theory: putting more police on the streets prevented crime
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The theory: broken-windows policing prevented serious crime
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The theory: police have gotten better at detecting and preventing crime
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The theory: more guns, less crime
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The theory: the economy got better and crime got less appealing
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The theory: crime is harder because people don’t carry cash as much anymore
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The theory: people aren’t committing crimes because they’re inside playing video games
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The theory: gentrification is taking over crime-ridden neighborhoods
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The theory: people are committing fewer crimes because they’re drinking less alcohol
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The theory: less crack use led to less crime
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The theory: America’s gangs have gotten less violent
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The theory: the US population is just aging out of crime
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The theory: legal abortion is preventing would-be criminals from being born
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The theory: lead exposure caused crime, and lead abatement efforts reduced it
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