Ying Shi, Syracuse University

Hate Crimes and Student Outcomes

Abstract

This paper examines the causal impact of exposure to racially targeted hate crimes—an observable and severe form of broader identity-based discrimination—on academic achievement and socio-emotional well-being. We construct a novel dataset that links geocoded hate crime records from Los Angeles County to administrative data from the local school district spanning 2008–2024. We separately estimate the effects of school- and neighborhood-level exposure using two complementary difference-in differences designs: one comparing targeted students in treated schools with peers in similar control schools, and another exploiting hyperlocal variation in students’ proximity to hate crimes within the same neighborhood. Exposure to anti-Hispanic hate crimes leads to persistent GPA declines among Hispanic students. It also temporarily increases disciplinary referrals and lowers students’ perceived safety. By contrast, we find no effects of anti-Black hate crimes, and anti-Hispanic hate crimes have no effects on non-Hispanic students. Taken together, the findings suggest that being part of a group targeted by hate crimes reduces human capital formation, influences educational trajectories, and deepens racial inequalities.

Ying Shi is an associate professor of public administration and international affairs and a senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research. Prior to joining the Maxwell School, she was an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University.
 
Ying’s research interests are in labor economics and political economy, with a focus on education policy. Her current work examines the prevalence and origins of teacher racial bias, the role of school boards and district leadership on student outcomes, and the consequences of minority representation in local government.
 
Ying received a Ph.D. in public policy (economics concentration) from Duke University in 2017.
You can read more about Ying Shi here
CEBI contact: Franziska Valder