How experiencing gun violence in U.S. schools impacts student academic achievement

Abstract

This study examines how the experience of school gun violence, a topic of national and international concern, effects the academic achievement of students who have survived such traumatic events. Academic achievement is measured through GPA, a common metric for university admissions and job positions for students entering the workforce. The study utilizes updated 2018-2019 academic year data to measure the impact, and finds that experiencing school gun violence yields a statistically significant shortfall of almost half of a point in GPA for victimized students compared to those who do not experience it. The study further explores regional effects of this impact, revealing that the shortfall experienced by a victimized student can depend on the region of the United States a student attends school in.