What Makes Bullies: Evidence from Randomized Intervention

Abstract

Parenting makes bullies. We show that children who were raised by parents who used harsh parenting during early childhood are more likely to bully others during early adolescence. Evidence is based on a randomized intervention where the parents receive training programs aimed at improving their disciplinary strategies. 10 years after the intervention, children whose parents received the intervention were less likely to bully their peers. Victimization was unaffected. The results support the interpretation of bullying as a type of social interaction skill with large negative externalities that are shaped by early-childhood parenting.