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Reducing Bullying: Evidence from a Parental Involvement Program on Empathy Education

Author

Listed:
  • Flavio Cunha
  • Qinyou Hu
  • Yiming Xia
  • Naibao Zhao

Abstract

According to UNESCO, one-third of the world’s youths are victims of bullying, which deteriorates academic performance and mental health, and increases suicide ideation and the risk of committing suicide. This paper analyzes a four-month parent-directed intervention designed to foster empathy in middle schoolers in China. Our implementation and evaluation study enrolled 2,246 seventh and eighth graders and their parents, whom we assigned, at the classroom level, to the control or intervention condition randomly. We measured, before and after the intervention, parental investments, children’s empathy, and self-reported bullying perpetration and victimization incidents. Our analyses show that the intervention increased investments and empathy and reduced bullying incidents. In addition, we measured costs and found that it costs $12.50 for our intervention to reduce one bullying incident. Our study offers a scalable and low-cost strategy that can inform public policy on bullying prevention in other similar settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Flavio Cunha & Qinyou Hu & Yiming Xia & Naibao Zhao, 2023. "Reducing Bullying: Evidence from a Parental Involvement Program on Empathy Education," NBER Working Papers 30827, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:30827
    Note: CH ED
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    Cited by:

    1. James J. Heckman & Bridget Galaty & Haihan Tian, 2023. "The Economic Approach to Personality, Character and Virtue," NBER Working Papers 31258, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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