Anti-Bullying Intervention and Children’s DevelopmentProfessor Ana Costa-Ramón from the University of Zurich provides insights into an anti-bullying intervention on children’s development

1 December 2025, 4:00 pm

Professor Ana Costa-Ramón of the University of Zurich analyzed the long-term effects of a large-scale school anti-bullying initiative. The KiVa program, first implemented in Finnish compulsory schools, aims to prevent bullying by influencing the behavior and attitudes of classmates. Data from the original study were linked with official education and labor market data to examine the project’s long-term impact on academic trajectories and later employment. The results show that children who participated in the intervention are more likely to attend secondary schools and later obtain a university degree. In early adulthood (around ages 28 to 30), they also tend to earn more. At the same time, long-term bullying decreases—especially among boys—along with better performance and a positive school climate. Overall, the study suggests that anti-bullying programs not only help in the short term but can also enhance educational success and income in the long term.

Professor Ana Costa-Ramón presents her findings on Mon, 1.12.2025 at 16.00 Hrs at the Research Seminar: "The Causal Impact of an Anti-Bullying Intervention on Children’s Development" at the Hamburg Center for Health Economics.

The complete program of our research seminar series can be found here. Guests are welcome, please register on our website. The lecture is in English.