Failed Elementary School Students may Increase Risk of Local Homicide

A recent study conducted by researchers from New York University shows a direct connection between higher local homicide rates and the number of failed elementary students.

"This finding is a source of concern because exposure to environmental violence is highly prevalent in contemporary societies and is unequally distributed along socioeconomic lines," said study co-author Florencia Torche, an associate professor of sociology at New York University, via a press release. "To the extent that children living in poverty are more likely to experience environmental violence, its effect on early educational achievement will contribute to the intergenerational reproduction of poverty."

For the study, researchers examined data from all elementary schools in Mexico from 1990 to 2010 and the annual homicide rate in the municipality where each school is located.

"Our findings indicate that the recent increase in homicides resulted in thousands of elementary school children failing a grade," said study co-author Monica L. Caudillo, a doctoral student in sociology at New York University, via the release.

"It is an important finding that local violence adversely affects children even when they are very young - jeopardizing their long-term educational attainment," Torche added.

Researchers note that such increases in elementary failure rates may be due to heightened anxiety issues among children and possible changes in parenting practices.

"Research shows that for children stress and anxiety result in sleep disturbance, problems with attention and concentration, and aggressive behavior," Caudillo said. "All of these factors negatively affect a child's ability to learn and succeed in school. While keeping children isolated is useful for reducing their exposure to violence, it may hinder their ability to succeed in school because it may cut valuable social ties."

"The causal mechanisms explored in this study are not likely to be limited by national boundaries," Torche added. "We speculate that a similar effect results from exposure to local violence in other countries."

"Our research suggests that in violent environments it may be important to consider initiatives such as teacher training and school programs designed to help children manage and reduce the symptoms associated with exposure to violence in order to alleviate their negative impact," Caudillo concluded.

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More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Sociology of Education.