SMU SOE Seminar Series (April 15, 2026): Does Schooling Protect Children from Maltreatment? Evidence from School Entry Laws

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ABSTRACT

Protecting children from maltreatment is a global policy priority, yet little is known about how early childhood institutions affect exposure to abuse and neglect. We study whether earlier entry into formal schooling reduces maltreatment, exploiting exogenous variation in school starting age generated by date-of-birth cut-offs. Using linked administrative data from Australia, we find that starting school one year earlier leads to substantial reductions in child protection notifications. These effects are not driven by increased monitoring. While reports by school personnel rise, they are offset by reductions in reports from pre-school and childcare staff, with no change in the composition or severity of cases. Instead, we find large declines in reports from non-education professionals, particularly police, consistent with a genuine reduction in underlying maltreatment. Effects are concentrated among children without younger siblings, where school entry induces larger increases in maternal employment, suggesting a mechanism operating through parental time use and family dynamics.