Filipino children who experience physical or emotional violence from a parent at age 10 are about half as likely to remain enrolled in school by age 14 as those who are not exposed to such violence, with the impact more pronounced among girls, according to state-run policy think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

In a policy note titled “Home Should Be Safe: How Parental Violence Affects Children’s Education in the Philippines” published last Monday, Aug. 17, PIDS project technical specialist Aaron Carlos G. Manuel, senior research specialist Lyle Daryll D. Casas, and senior research fellow Valerie Gilbert T. Ulep found that about two in five Filipino children aged 10 reported experiencing physical or emotional violence from a parent.

The study used nationally representative data from the Longitudinal Cohort Study on the Filipino Child (LCSFC), which tracks approximately 5,000 Filipino children. For the analysis, the researchers used information collected when the children were 10 and again at about 14 years old to examine the relationship between early experiences of parental violence and subsequent educational outcomes.

Children were considered exposed to parental violence if they reported experiencing physical or emotional harm from a parent during the six months before the survey. Nearly two-fifths, or 39.5 percent, of children aged 10 were classified as exposed to parental violence.

The study found that 5.2 percent of children exposed to parental violence were no longer enrolled in school in a later survey round, more than double the 2.4 percent among children who were not exposed.

After accounting for other child and household characteristics, the researchers found that exposure to parental violence at age 10 was associated with significantly lower odds of remaining enrolled in school several years later. Overall, exposed children were about half as likely to be enrolled as their unexposed peers.

The association was stronger among girls. When analyzed by sex, girls exposed to parental violence at age 10 had 66 percent lower odds of being enrolled by age 14, compared with 48 percent lower odds among boys.

The researchers noted that physical violence is more commonly reported among boys, while emotional violence disproportionately affects girls.

While children exposed to parental violence also tended to report poorer performance in mathematics, reading, and science, the relationship was not statistically significant after other factors were considered.

“This suggests that the most immediate and robust consequences of parental violence are on school participation, rather than on measured academic performance,” the policy note said.

The researchers said violence experienced at home can have effects extending into children’s education.

“Violence in the home does not stay in the home. Exposure to parental violence can exacerbate chronic stress, reduce concentration, and diminish motivation to learn, which can weaken children’s ability to remain engaged in school in the future,” they said.

The findings come amid a broader prevalence of violence against Filipino children. About eight in 10 Filipino children have experienced some form of violence, while six in 10 are subjected to violent discipline at home.

To address the problem, the researchers recommended sustaining and expanding nationwide, multisectoral early intervention programs that combine parenting education, school-based violence prevention, and community advocacy, with gender-responsive approaches tailored to the different risks and needs of boys and girls.

They particularly called for fathers and male caregivers to take an active role in efforts to prevent violence against children.

“Explicitly engage fathers and male caregivers as equal participants in parenting sessions, recognizing that paternal modeling of equitable, nonviolent behavior is critical to disrupting the intergenerational transmission of gender-based violence,” the researchers said.

The policy note also recommended strengthening violence prevention in the basic education curriculum and ensuring that school-based child protection committees and referral systems linked to local social welfare services are fully functional. Schools should also maintain safe spaces where children can disclose abuse without fear of stigma or retaliation.

At the community level, the researchers called for interventions that engage men and boys “not merely as bystanders but as active agents of norm change,” alongside stronger participation by community leaders and influencers in identifying child maltreatment and mobilizing local resources.

“Nationwide, multisectoral early intervention programs that integrate parenting education, school-based violence prevention, and community advocacy should be sustained and expanded,” the researchers said.