It is my belief that the biggest single factor that keeps our crime rates low is Special Education. There is ample correlational evidence to back this up. The biggest piece of evidence is the precipitous drop in crime that happened between 1990-1994. Experts said that crime rates were going to soar and despite the crack epidemic starting in the early 1990’s crime rates decline precipitously.
In 1975 the Education for Every Handicapped Child act passed and became law. Those children who received early intervention later became the teenagers and adults of the early 1990’s who were committing way fewer crimes than their predecessors. I made this video to cover the possible events that could have caused the decrease in crime including the prohibition of leaded gas, the legalization of abortion and the 1994 crime bill.