Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

Working Papers,
Örebro University, School of Business

No 2010:7: Evidence of Class-size Effects on Bullying in Swedish Schools

Mattias Persson (mattias.persson@oru.se) and Mikael Svensson (mikael.svensson@oru.se)
Additional contact information
Mattias Persson: Department of Business, Economics, Statistics and Informatics, Postal: Örebro University, Swedish Business School, SE - 701 82 ÖREBRO, Sweden
Mikael Svensson: Department of Business, Economics, Statistics and Informatics, Postal: Örebro University, Swedish Business School, SE - 701 82 ÖREBRO, Sweden

Abstract: In this paper we estimate the effect of class-size on the prevalence of physical and verbal bullying in Swedish schools. We use self-reported individual level data from approx. 3 100 Swedish adolescents in the 9th grade (aged 15-16) regarding their experience of bullying in the school environment. The data covers 40 schools containing 159 classes. We run probit regressions, school fixed-effects probit regressions controlling for between-school endogeneity, as well as using an instrumental variable approach controlling for between- and within-school endogeneity. The results indicate, giving the same conclusion in all specifications, that bullying is not less or more prevalent in smaller classes. However, there are some results indicating that in smaller classes there is a higher probability that an adolescent self-identifies as a bully.

Keywords: Bullying; Class-size; School; Adolescents; Sweden

JEL-codes: H75; I12; I21

31 pages, First version: September 8, 2010. Revised: November 9, 2010.

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