Violence against children has profound and lasting effects on physical and emotional well-being, educational outcomes, and economic productivity. In low- and middle-income countries such as the Philippines, limited longitudinal data hinders researchers from examining the medium- and long-term effects of early exposure to violence across a range of well-being outcomes. This paper describes the magnitude of parental violence in the Philippines and estimates its lasting effects on school enrollment and academic performance in mathematics, reading, and science among young Filipino adolescents using longitudinal data.
Findings indicate that, after controlling for child demographic, cognitive, health, academic, and household socioeconomic factors, young Filipino adolescents who experience parental violence at age 10 (with a 39.5% prevalence) have 52–57 percent lower odds of attending school by age 14 compared to unexposed peers. When analyzed by sex, boys and girls exposed to parental violence at age 10 were 48 percent and 66 percent less likely, respectively, to be enrolled by age 14. Although academic performance in math, reading, and science indicates a negative trend among exposed adolescents, the associations were not statistically significant.
This study highlights how early exposure to parental violence may disrupt school participation. While evidence on academic performance suggests an adverse impact, it is less conclusive. These findings align with child development theories that emphasize how violence at home undermines children's behavior and overall well-being, which in turn leads to poor educational outcomes. The results suggest the need for sustained implementation and expansion of nationwide, multisectoral early interventions to prevent violence in the home and support the long-term academic development and well-being of Filipino learners. Additionally, strengthening data collection through improved measures of violence and academic performance will better elucidate the relationship between early exposure to violence and educational outcomes.
Comments to this paper are welcome within 60 days from the date of posting. Email publications@mail.pids.gov.ph.
