Events

We study the long-run impacts of the KiVa program, a randomized anti-bullying intervention in Finnish schools, linking RCT survey data for 15,000 pupils attending grades 7-9 to comprehensive administrative records. Treated students have better long-run outcomes: they are more likely to attend academic high school and graduate from university, and they earn higher wages by ages 27–29. These gains accrue to all groups of pupils, irrespective of gender or social role as a bully, victim, or bystander. We trace these effects to a reduction in bullying in the classroom, particularly among boys, which leads to a more positive learning environment for all students. The reduction in harmful behavior persists beyond the intervention window: treated boys are significantly less likely to engage in criminal activity in adulthood.