RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Reconsidering Peer Effects from Schoolmates Exposed to Violence at Home
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 0825-14475
DO 10.3368/jhr.0825-14475
A1 Apperson, Jarod
A1 Bueno, Carycruz
YR 2025
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2025/12/02/jhr.0825-14475.abstract
AB Prior research suggests that students exposed to domestic violence impose substantial negative externalities on peers’ learning and labor market outcomes. We test whether these findings generalize using nine-years of student data from a large urban school district linked to geocoded police records of at-home violence. In contrast to prior work, we find negligible peer effects. Adding one exposed peer to a classroom of 20 students reduces English and math scores by a statistically insignificant 0.006 standard deviations and increases disciplinary incidents by 3.2%. We reject achievement reductions greater than 0.017 standard deviations and disciplinary increases larger than 8.3%.