The Causal Impact of Removing Children from Abusive and Neglectful Homes

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bald, Anthony; Chyn, Eric; Hastings, Justine; Machelett, Margarita
• 署名单位: Harvard University; Dartmouth College; National Bureau of Economic Research; University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle; Banco de Espana
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-3808
• DOI: 10.1086/719856
• 发表日期: 2022
• 页码: 1919-1962
• 关键词: instrumental variables regression; estimating marginal returns; foster-care; gender-differences; weak instruments; perry preschool; childhood; identification; exposure; interventions

摘要

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.