Cumulative childhood adversity and educational exclusion from a life-course perspective in Japan

Although sociological research views educational exclusion as a process, empirical studies rely primarily on conventional socioeconomic indicators of family background. This study used a life-course perspective to examine how cumulative childhood adversity, measured as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), was associated with educational exclusion. Using data from a national postal survey of adults conducted in 2023 (n = 11,565), we analyzed persistent absence, bullying victimization, and high school non-completion. Logistic regression analyses revealed clear dose–response relationships between ACEs and all three outcomes. Even after adjusting for parental education and childhood socioeconomic status, individuals with four or more ACEs had higher odds of persistent absence (OR = 6.17, 95% CI: 4.56–8.36), bullying victimization (OR = 5.42, 95% CI: 4.39–6.68), and high school non-completion (OR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.89–3.99). The findings suggest understanding educational exclusion as a life-course process of relational disadvantage, beyond socioeconomic resources.