Econ Papers Daily / 期刊论文
远程学习的意外代价：儿童虐待分析
The unintended cost of distance learning: An analysis of child maltreatment
摘要
This paper provides the first causal evidence on how the pandemic-induced remote learning disrupted schools’ capacity to detect child maltreatment. Leveraging county-level variation in remote instruction during the 2020–21 school year, I find that counties with higher exposure to remote instruction experienced a 7.2% greater decline in child maltreatment reports involving school-aged children, but a 13.4% increase in maltreatment-related child fatalities within this group. The decrease in reports by education personnel primarily drove the overall decline. Effects on maltreatment-related fatalities persisted even after schools resumed in-person instruction. These results highlight an unintended cost of distance learning: remote instruction impaired the detection of child maltreatment, leading to fewer reports but more severe cases. Prompt policy interventions could safeguard children who remain undetected.
中文摘要
本文首次提供了因果证据，说明疫情引发的远程学习如何破坏了学校发现儿童虐待的能力。利用2020—21学年各县在远程教学上的差异，我发现远程教学暴露程度更高的县，涉及学龄儿童的儿童虐待报告下降了7.2%，但该群体中与虐待相关的儿童死亡增加了13.4%。教育人员报告数量的减少主要推动了总体报告的下降。即使在 schools 恢复面对面教学后，与虐待相关的死亡影响仍然持续存在。这些结果凸显了远程学习的一项意外成本：远程教学削弱了对儿童虐待的发现，导致报告减少但案件更严重。及时的政策干预可以保护那些仍未被发现的儿童。