Impacts of the Four-Day School Week on Juvenile Crime

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Najam, Rafiuddin; Thompson, Paul N.
• 署名单位: University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; University of North Carolina School of Medicine; Oregon State University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1520-6688
• DOI: 10.1002/pam.70101
• 发表日期: 2026-03-24
• 页码: e70101
• 关键词: Four-day school weeks; crime; juvenile; Property crime; education; absenteeism; dropout; AGE

摘要

Schools are increasingly adopting four-day school weeks to address financial, attendance, and teacher retention issues, a trend that the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified. However, little is known about the nonacademic behavioral responses of juveniles to such transitions. We examine the impacts of adopting a four-day school week on juvenile crime, focusing particularly on disparities across rurality and locale size, using a difference-in-differences estimation approach. We find significant upticks in juvenile crime, primarily in property and violent crimes, within non-rural and large law enforcement agencies. Conversely, we find evidence suggesting a decrease in juvenile drug- and alcohol-related crimes during school hours on weekdays. In addition to changes in juvenile crime on nonschool weekdays, we observe spillover effects on the remaining weekdays and weekends, primarily in non-rural and large agency settings. Thus, decision-makers should be cognizant of the potential increase in juvenile crime that may result from the four-day school week.