This paper estimates the intergenerational impacts of mothers’ exposure to the 1980–2000 Peruvian civil conflict on their children’s socio-emotional skills development. Researchers combined Young Lives longitudinal data, tracking children’s skills development over time with historical records of where the conflict happened.

They found that when mothers were exposed to violence during the conflict, their children struggled more with feelings of confidence and self-worth (agency and pride) at ages 8 and 12. These negative effects remained consistent even when the researchers tested different ways of analysing the data.

By age 15, children of mothers who lived through the conflict were more likely to take part in crime-related risky behaviour. The paper suggests this happens because, amongst other reasons, parents had fewer household resources to investment in their children, and the mother’s role was diminished.

However, if a mother’s parents (the child’s grandparents) moved away during the conflict, it helped reduce some of the adverse effects on the child’s socio-emotional development.

Download the paper in Science Direct (download free until 13 April 2025)