Do welfare programs reduce family and youth violence?

Programs that improve economic security and encourage employment have the added benefit of reducing family and youth violence. Researchers have found that policy changes that increase monetary benefits to low-income families reduce official reports of child maltreatment, intimate partner violence and violent behaviors among youth. These policies have been credited with decreasing risk factors for violence by reducing stress associated with economic instability and improving mental health and relationships among family members. A study using data from vulnerable families in 20 large cities between 1998 and 2010 found that having access to the Earned Income Tax Credit was associated with reduced rates of intimate partner violence, including a 45% reduction in the likelihood of isolation victimization and a 53% reduction in the likelihood of economic coercion.