Spillovers of Domestic Violence Against Women on Children's Socio-Emotional Abilities

• Grant number: 23/12580-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): January 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Economics
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Reis Soares
• Grantee: Giovanna Úbida Belentani Sampaio
• Supervisor: Maria Micaela Sviatschi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa (Insper). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Princeton University, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/16803-4 - Spillovers of domestic violence against women on children's socio-emotional abilities, BP.DD

Abstract

In this research, we propose to study the spillovers effects of domestic violence against women on children's socio-emotional abilities. Our goal is twofold. First, we will estimate the effect of having a mother victim of domestic violence on children's scores in a socio-emotional ability test. Second, we will investigate - across five types of violence: physical, sexual, patrimonial, moral, or psychological - whats type of domestic violence affects children the most. We will use a high-quality Brazilian victimization survey that identifies children whose families are characterized by domestic violence and assess their socio-emotional skills. Since there maybe be a endogeneity in the relationship between abused mothers andtheir children's abilities, we will use an instrumental variable (IV) estimation strategy. Linked data on domestic violence against women and their respective children's abilities is exceptional and key to estimate the effects. Our main contribution in this research is to examine the spillover effects of various forms of domestic violence against mothers on their children's socio-emotional abilities within a developing country context. These abilities are strongly related to adult outcome and are difficult to catch up later in life.Thus, if our findings indeed demonstrate that having a mother who is a victim of domestic violence influences socio-emotional outcomes during early childhood, it emphasizes the importance of addressing concerns related to the spillover effects on children within domestic violence policies.