The Causal Impact of Removing Children from Abusive and Neglectful Homes

Anthony Bald, Eric Chyn, Justine Hastings and Margarita Machelett

Journal of Political Economy, 2022, vol. 130, issue 7, 1919 - 1962

Abstract: This paper measures impacts of removing children from families investigated for abuse or neglect. We use removal tendencies of child protection investigators as an instrument. Our analysis focuses on young children investigated before age 6 and finds that removal significantly increases test scores and reduces grade repetition for girls. There are no detectable impacts for boys. This pattern of results does not appear to be driven by heterogeneity in preremoval characteristics, foster placements, or types of schools attended after removal. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that development of abused and neglected girls is more responsive to home removal.

Date: 2022
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Related works:
Working Paper: The causal impact of removing children from abusive and neglectful homes (2021)
Working Paper: The Causal Impact of Removing Children from Abusive and Neglectful Homes (2019)
Working Paper: The Causal Impact of Removing Children from Abusive and Neglectful Homes (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucp:jpolec:doi:10.1086/719856

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