Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/335980 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 18332
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Bullying is a widespread form of aggression that emerges early in childhood and is common in school settings. Using Italian data from the National Institute for the Evaluation of Education and Training (INVALSI) on primary school students, we document gender differences in self-reported bullying, both as victims and perpetrators, across multiple dimensions. Bullying is more prevalent among boys on both fronts. Exploiting the quasi-random allocation of students to classes within schools, we show that a higher share of boys increases reported victimization among girls, particularly in forms such as mockery and verbal insults. These effects are associated with lower well-being among girls. The findings point to a spillover of violence from boys to girls as the share of male peers increases, highlighting the role of classroom gender composition in shaping early peer interactions and the need for caution when managing gender imbalances in elementary education.
Subjects: 
gender differences
education
bullying
violence
primary school
JEL: 
I24
J13
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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