Journal of Policy Analysis and Management · 2026 · Rafiuddin Najam、Paul N. Thompson
中文摘要
越来越多的学校为应对财政、出勤和教师留任问题而采用四天上学周，新冠（COVID-19）疫情放大了这一趋势。然而，关于青少年对此类转变的非学业行为反应，我们知之甚少。我们采用双重差分估计方法，考察采用四天上学周对青少年犯罪的影响，尤其关注其在乡村性与辖区规模上的差异。我们发现，在非乡村地区以及大型执法机构辖区内，青少年犯罪显著上升，主要体现为财产犯罪和暴力犯罪。相反，我们发现有证据提示，在工作日的在校时段内，青少年与毒品和酒精相关的犯罪有所减少。除了非上学工作日的青少年犯罪变化外，我们还观察到对剩余工作日和周末的溢出效应，且主要出现在非乡村地区和大型机构情境中。因此，决策者应认识到，四天上学周可能导致青少年犯罪增加这一潜在风险。
Abstract
ABSTRACT Schools are increasingly adopting four‐day school weeks to address financial, attendance, and teacher retention issues, a trend that the COVID‐19 pandemic has amplified. However, little is known about the nonacademic behavioral responses of juveniles to such transitions. We examine the impacts of adopting a four‐day school week on juvenile crime, focusing particularly on disparities across rurality and locale size, using a difference‐in‐differences estimation approach. We find significant upticks in juvenile crime, primarily in property and violent crimes, within non‐rural and large law enforcement agencies. Conversely, we find evidence suggesting a decrease in juvenile drug‐ and alcohol‐related crimes during school hours on weekdays. In addition to changes in juvenile crime on nonschool weekdays, we observe spillover effects on the remaining weekdays and weekends, primarily in non‐rural and large agency settings. Thus, decision‐makers should be cognizant of the potential increase in juvenile crime that may result from the four‐day school week.