Abstract
AbstractThis paper studies two legislative changes that extended legal penalties for sex with minors ages 14 to 16 in Canada and the US. Using differences‐in‐differences and triple‐differences strategies, it presents new evidence that age of consent laws affect teen fertility, especially the rate that teenage girls aged 14 to 15 become pregnant and have children from adult men of ages targeted by the law changes. I find that the 2008 increase in Canada and the 1995 increase in the American state of Georgia led to substantial decreases in the fraction of births arising from partnerships made illegal. These impacts reflect net decreases in births and falling abortions rather than changes in reporting, implying decreased pregnancy rates. Further evidence suggests that the laws deterred relationships between teens and targeted partners altogether and I also uncover a strong response to the law through marriage of teens aged 14 to 15 in Georgia, which then provided a loophole because age of consent laws did not apply to married couples.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
