The academic effects of chronic exposure to neighbourhood violence

Amy Schwartz, Agustina Laurito, Johanna Lacoe, Patrick Sharkey and Ingrid Gould Ellen
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Agustina Laurito: University of Illinois Chicago, USA
Johanna Lacoe: University of California Berkeley, USA
Patrick Sharkey: Princeton University, USA
Ingrid Gould Ellen: New York University, USA

Urban Studies, 2022, vol. 59, issue 14, 3005-3021

Abstract: This paper estimates the causal effect of repeated exposure to violent crime on test scores in New York City. We use two empirical strategies; value-added models linking student performance on standardised exams to violent crimes on students’ residential block, and a regression discontinuity approach that identifies the acute effect of additional crime exposure within a one-week window. Exposure to violent crime reduces academic performance. Value-added models suggest the average effect is very small (approximately −0.01 standard deviations) but grows with repeated exposure. Regression discontinuity (RD) models also find a larger effect among children previously exposed. The marginal acute effect is as large as −0.04 standard deviations for students with two or more prior exposures. Among these, it is almost one tenth of a standard deviation for Black students. We provide credible causal evidence that repeated exposure to neighbourhood violence harms test scores, and this negative effect increases with exposure.

Keywords: children; education; neighbourhood effects; neighbourhood violence; violent crime; 儿童; 教育; 街区效应; 街区暴力; 暴力犯罪 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Working Paper: The Academic Effects of Chronic Exposure to Neighborhood Violence (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:59:y:2022:i:14:p:3005-3021

DOI: 10.1177/00420980211052149

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