| While factors such as the wages and salaries associated with a job can be impacted greatly by the level of the educational attainment an individual receives, the level of crime can also be affected in a substantial way. Past research and theory suggests that higher levels of educational attainment will lead to less crime and arrests overall and will likely have differing effects depending on race and other demographic factors. However, very little research has been completed in looking at the effects of educational attainment on arrests or crime for Hispanic individuals. I use data from multiple sources, including the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture linked together with a law enforcement crosswalk data set to estimate a fixed effects model to look at the effects of educational attainment on arrests for males and females, controlling for several demographic and economic factors. I find that on average, the interaction between lower levels of educational attainment and Hispanic population leads to higher levels of total male arrests, while the interaction between higher levels of educational attainment and Hispanic population lead to lower levels of total male arrests. I also find that on average, the interaction between lower levels of educational attainment and Hispanic population leads to higher levels of total female arrests, and higher levels of educational attainment also lead to higher levels of total female arrests. |
