Long term economic impact associated with childhood bullying victimisation

(2018) - Nicola Brimblecombe, Sara Evans-Lacko, Martin Knapp, Derek King, Ryu Takizawa, Barbara Maughan, Louise Arseneault

Journal: Social Science & Medicine
Link:: https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277953618302491
DOI:: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.05.014
Links::
Tags:: #paper #NCDS #Unemployment #LabourMarket
Cite Key:: [@Brimblecombe2018]

Abstract

Being bullied is associated with mental health problems in childhood, with increasing evidence of 4 persisting negative impacts, and increased mental health service use, into adulthood. There are also 5 impacts of bullying victimisation on employment, income and being in poverty, but little is known 6 about the long-term economic impacts. We therefore aimed to estimate the most important 7 economic consequences at age 50 of being bullied in childhood: to our knowledge this is the first 8 study that does so. Using 1958 British birth cohort data collected in 1965, 1969, 1991, 2003 and 9 2008 (study samples size 7,323-9,242), we find substantial and durable individual and societal 10 economic impacts four decades after the childhood bullying occurred. Both men and women who 11 were bullied in childhood were less likely to be in employment and had accumulated less wealth in 12 the form of home-ownership or savings than participants who were not bullied. Individual earnings 13 from paid employment were lower for women who were bullied in childhood. Frequent bullying in 14 childhood was also associated with higher societal employment-related costs for men and higher 15 health service costs for women. Our findings underline the importance of preventing bullying in 16 childhood and, as the consequences are so long-lasting and pervasive, supporting people still 17 experiencing the negative consequences in the decades that follow.

Notes

“we find substantial and durable individual and societal 10 economic impacts four decades after the childhood bullying occurred. Both men and women who 11 were bullied in childhood were less likely to be in employment and had accumulated less wealth in 12 the form of home-ownership or savings than participants who were not bullied.” (Brimblecombe et al., 2018, p. 1)