Early Childhood Education and Violence Prevention Across the Life Course and Generations

Abstract

High-quality early childhood education may buffer against social and structural drivers of interpersonal and self-directed violence. This dissertation examined associations of Head Start—a large-scale early childhood education program for low-income children, launched in 1965 as part of the War on Poverty—and violence-related outcomes within and across generations. Intragenerational analyses found that attending Head Start vs. other childcare was associated with lower handgun carrying and serious fighting risk among Black males. Intergenerationally, there was suggestive evidence that maternal Head Start exposure was associated with lower risk of fighting among Black and Hispanic/Latino male offspring. Collectively, findings suggest that early life investments in the social, economic, and human capital of children and families may be effective and equitable tools to prevent interpersonal violence within and across generations.