Barry Sheerman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2014-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what research his Department has commissioned on a potential relationship between domestic abuse experienced by children and low educational attainment in later life.

Mr Edward Timpson

The Department for Education has not commissioned research on the possible relationship between domestic abuse and a child’s subsequent educational attainment. Reports published earlier this year by the Early Intervention Foundation and by Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse highlighted the impact on children’s wellbeing of exposure to domestic abuse. Though these reports did not focus on later educational attainment, they illustrated potential disruption to children’s lives that is likely to affect their education. The Government is committed to safeguarding children from any form of abuse.