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December 10, 2025 | 12:00am
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said that two in five Filipino children experience physical or emotional violence from a parent by age 10, a form of early harm that significantly weakens their school engagement later on.
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MANILA, Philippines — A new study showed that violent discipline at home lowers Filipino children’s chances of staying in school by about half.
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said that two in five Filipino children experience physical or emotional violence from a parent by age 10, a form of early harm that significantly weakens their school engagement later on.
“While a child’s development is expected to flourish at home, for these children, home is where fear and harm begin,” PIDS project technical specialist Aaron Carlos Manuel said during a PIDS public webinar where the findings were presented.
Manuel added that early childhood experiences shape mental health outcomes, affecting how violence may influence emotional regulation, behavior and engagement in school.
The study, “Early Harm, Lasting Impact: The Effect of Parental Violence on Educational Outcomes Among Filipino Children,” authored by Manuel, along with senior research specialist Lyle Daryll Casas and senior research fellow Valerie Gilbert Ulep, draws from a long-term national study tracking nearly 5,000 children from late childhood to young adulthood.
The study said that violence at home remains widespread, with 39.5 percent of 10-year-olds having experienced physical or emotional violence from a parent in the past six months.
It added that the numbers stay high as they turn 11 and 12, and even as they grow older.
The study said this mirrors global patterns, with about half of the global child population experiencing some form of violence at some point in their lives.
According to the study, early exposure weakens school outcomes as children exposed to parental violence at age 10 were about 50 percent less likely to be enrolled in school by age 14 to 15.
It said that most children remain in school overall, but those who are unenrolled are disproportionately from homes where violence occurs.
“For example, out of 1,000 children, enrollment is still very high at 96 percent. But among the few who are not enrolled, a larger share comes from the children who were exposed to parental violence,” Manuel added.
Both boys and girls show reduced odds of staying enrolled, though the link is statistically stronger for boys.
The study also shows that these children tend to start school with weaker skills.
It added that about one in four children exposed to parental violence score low in math, reading, and science, and their average IQs are lower.
