Mitigating the Academic Impacts of Proximity to Homicide: The Role of Schools

Community violence can have traumatic effects on young people, presenting daunting challenges for families and school educators working to support students’ growth, development, and achievement in school. It is critical to understand its effects on students and consider what schools can do to mitigate those effects, while working to reduce the prevalence of homicide and gun violence in the broader society.

This report offers evidence that schools can, and do, mitigate the negative impacts of adversity that young people experience. At the same time, this is complex, resource-intensive, and emotionally-taxing work—requiring time, resources and intentional strategies.