Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/295854 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16831
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
After-school programs (ASP) that keep youth protected while engaging them in socio-emotional learning might address school-based violent behaviors. This paper experimentally studies the socio-emotional-learning component of an ASP targeted to teenagers in public schools in the most violent neighborhoods of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Participant schools were randomly assigned to different ASP variations, some of them including psychology-based interventions, which constitutes the ASP socio-emotional-learning component. Results indicate that including psychology-based activities as part of the ASP increases by 23 percent-age points the probability that students are well-behaved at school. The effect is driven by the most at-risk students. Using data gathered from task-based games and AI-powered emotion-detection algorithms, this paper shows that improvement in emotion regulation is likely driving the effect. When comparing a psychology-based curriculum aiming to strengthen participants' character and another based on mindfulness principles, results show that the latter improves violent behaviors while reducing school dropout.
Subjects: 
after-school programs
psychology-based interventions
school-based violence
emotion regulation
JEL: 
I29
K42
I25
D87
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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