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Does cyberbullying impact youth suicidal behaviors?

Author

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  • Nikolaou, Dimitrios

Abstract

Even though several youth fatal suicides have been linked with school victimization, there is lack of evidence on whether cyberbullying victimization causes students to adopt suicidal behaviors. To investigate this issue, I use exogenous state-year variation in cyberbullying laws and information on high school students from the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey within a bivariate probit framework, and complement these estimates with matching techniques. I find that cyberbullying has a strong impact on all suicidal behaviors: it increases suicidal thoughts by 14.5 percentage points and suicide attempts by 8.7 percentage points. Even if the focus is on statewide fatal suicide rates, cyberbullying still leads to significant increases in suicide mortality, with these effects being stronger for men than for women. Since cyberbullying laws have an effect on limiting cyberbullying, investing in cyberbullying—preventing strategies can improve individual health by decreasing suicide attempts, and increase the aggregate health stock by decreasing suicide rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Nikolaou, Dimitrios, 2017. "Does cyberbullying impact youth suicidal behaviors?," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 30-46.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:56:y:2017:i:c:p:30-46
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.09.009
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Md. Tarek Hasan & Md. Al Emran Hossain & Md. Saddam Hossain Mukta & Arifa Akter & Mohiuddin Ahmed & Salekul Islam, 2023. "A Review on Deep-Learning-Based Cyberbullying Detection," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-47, May.
    2. Andrew Bacher-Hicks & Joshua Goodman & Jennifer Greif Green & Melissa K. Holt, 2022. "The COVID-19 Pandemic Disrupted Both School Bullying and Cyberbullying," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 4(3), pages 353-370, September.
    3. Daniel I. Rees & Joseph J. Sabia & Gokhan Kumpas, 2020. "Anti-Bullying Laws and Suicidal Behaviors among Teenagers," NBER Working Papers 26777, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Daniel I. Rees & Joseph J. Sabia & Gokhan Kumpas, 2022. "Anti‐Bullying Laws and Suicidal Behaviors Among Teenagers," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(3), pages 787-823, June.
    5. Dimitrios Nikolaou & Laura M. Crispin, 2022. "Estimating the effects of sports and physical exercise on bullying," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 40(2), pages 283-303, April.
    6. Dimitrios Nikolaou, 2022. "Bullying, cyberbullying, and youth health behaviors," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(1), pages 75-105, February.
    7. Kim, Jun Hyung & Hahlweg, Kurt & Schulz, Wolfgang, 2021. "Early childhood parenting and adolescent bullying behavior: Evidence from a randomized intervention at ten-year follow-up," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    8. McDool, Emily & Powell, Philip & Roberts, Jennifer & Taylor, Karl, 2020. "The internet and children’s psychological wellbeing," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    9. Nieto, Adrián & Suhrcke, Marc, 2021. "The effect of TV viewing on children’s obesity risk and mental well-being: Evidence from the UK digital switchover," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    10. Dimitrios Nikolaou, 2022. "Identifying the effects of bullying victimization on schooling," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 40(1), pages 162-189, January.
    11. Liu, Yanrong & Hu, Feng, 2021. "Being bullied at school as a child, worse health as an adult? Evidence from China," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    12. Adrian Nieto & Marc Suhrcke, 2020. "Television, Children's Obesity Risk and Mental Well-being: Lessons from the UK Digital Switchover," LISER Working Paper Series 2020-12, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    13. Xavier Alvarez-Subiela & Carmina Castellano-Tejedor & Francisco Villar-Cabeza & Mar Vila-Grifoll & Diego Palao-Vidal, 2022. "Family Factors Related to Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-15, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Suicide; Cyberbullying; Cyberbullying policy; Public health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models

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