School Climate & Safety Report Roundup

Violence at Home

By Lesli A. Maxwell — August 12, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

“Externalities in the Classroom: How Children Exposed to Domestic Violence Affect Everyone’s Kids”

Children from families affected by domestic violence decrease the academic achievement and increase the misbehavior of the other children in their classes, according to a study by two economists who set out to examine the widely held belief that one disruptive student can depress learning in a whole classroom.

Scott E. Carrell, an economics professor at the University of California, Davis, and Mark L. Hoekstra, an economics professor at the University of Pittsburgh, estimate that with one student affected by domestic violence in a classroom of 20 children, test scores are reduced by 0.67 percentile points and incidences of behavior infractions by peers increase by 16 percent.

Using court records in Alachua County, Fla., the researchers linked the domestic-violence cases to the schooling records of children who were part of those cases. They then examined the test and disciplinary data of the children from the violent households and those of their classmates in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades in 22 elementary schools for the academic years 1995-96 to 2002-03.

As the number of children from violent households rose in a grade cohort, the 30-page report says, there was a “statistically significant reduction in peer student math and reading test scores and significant peer disciplinary infractions and suspensions.” The researchers also identified boys in such families as the primary drivers of such a “negative spillover.”

The researchers say the results have implications not only for social policy, but also for education policy, including for questions surrounding academic tracking and school choice.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the August 13, 2008 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
From Classrooms to Careers: How Schools and Districts Can Prepare Students for a Changing Workforce
Real careers start in school. Learn how Alton High built student-centered, job-aligned pathways.
Content provided by TNTP
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Enhancing School Safety and Emergency Response
This Spotlight will help you explore proactive measures and effective strategies for enhancing school safety and emergency response.
School Climate & Safety Leading a District After a School Shooting Is Hard. These Superintendents Want to Help
A network of superintendents who've led districts after school shootings plans to support colleagues recovering from similar crises.
4 min read
Photograph of crime scene tape and school.
F. Sheehan for Education Week / Getty
School Climate & Safety States Emphasize School Violence Prevention, Not Just Security
In the wake of school shootings in their states last year, legislators hope to avert future tragedies.
7 min read
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa.
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa. The deaths in school shootings last year have led to new legislation in a half-dozen states.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
School Climate & Safety Leader To Learn From One Leader’s Plan to Cut Chronic Absenteeism—One Student at a Time
Naomi Tolentino helps educators in Kansas City, Kan., support strong school attendance.
9 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Naomi Tolentino leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week