COVID-19 school closures curbed reporting of child violence incidents in Chile, study finds

A new study reveals that school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile were associated with a sharp decline in reports of violence against children—highlighting the critical role schools play in child protection.

Led by Pilar Larroulet, assistant professor of criminal justice at Rutgers University–Newark, the research examined how Chile’s education system lost and gradually regained its capacity to identify and report child abuse during the shift away from in-person learning. Drawing on data from nearly 11,000 public and private schools, criminal reports submitted to Chile’s Ministry of the Interior, and cases processed by the national Child Protection System, the study offers a comprehensive look at the impact of school disruptions on child safety.

Published in the Journal of Human Resources, the study found that school closures led to significant reductions in reported cases of intrafamily violence (down by 3.4 cases per 100,000 children per week), sexual abuse (down by 0.96), and rape (down by 0.10). Alarmingly, reporting levels remained below pre-pandemic baselines for nearly two years after schools began reopening.

The findings suggest that the interruption of face-to-face learning not only disrupted education but also weakened a vital social safety net for children. The researchers also observed similar patterns during other school disruptions, such as holidays and student strikes.

“Our results highlight the importance of face-to-face interactions between students and school staff in identifying abuse and maltreatment,” said Larroulet. “Schools are often the first line of defense in detecting and formalizing complaints of violence. When school attendance is interrupted—whether by holidays, weather events, or chronic absenteeism—children’s protection is compromised. These costs must be factored into decisions about school closures and in designing alternative child protection strategies when schools are not in session.”