Abstract
This study performs a cost-benefit analysis of the implementation of the KiVa anti-bullying program in the Netherlands. Specifically, it addressed whether the expected benefits of KiVa for victims in terms of lifetime income are greater than the costs that are made for implementing the program. The KiVa intervention was examined in a randomized controlled trial in the Netherlands in 2012–2014 in 98 Dutch primary schools (target grades US-level 3–4, 8 to 9 years old). A model-based approach was applied to the effects for the expected income for prevented victims, which is a long-term outcome that can be quantified. The estimated costs and benefits of implementing KiVa were used to estimate the return-on-investment (ROI) that indicated the expected benefits per euro invested. Investing in KiVa in the Netherlands generated an ROI of €4.04–€6.72, indicating that it is good value for money to invest in KiVa. The chosen estimates in this study were deemed conservative; on the cost side, it was assumed that schools maximally implement KiVa (thus, maximum costs), and on the benefit side, only the expected income effect for victims was included to the model. Quantifying and incorporating other outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, psychiatric problems, not only for victims but also for bullies, bystanders, parents, teachers) may further increase the ROI for this intervention.
Highlights
Bullying in schools remains a major problem with serious short- and long-term consequences for victims, bullies, bystanders, teachers, and parents (Arseneault 2018; Copeland et al 2013; Wolke and Lereya 2015) with staggering costs for societies (Kline and Lewis 2018)
We investigated the cost-benefit ratio of the KiVa antibullying program in the Netherlands from a societal perspective, and we aimed to answer the question to what extent the decrease in victimization is associated with societal benefits
This ROI is similar to a cost-benefit ratio (CBR), a term commonly used in economic evaluations
Summary
Bullying in schools remains a major problem with serious short- and long-term consequences for victims, bullies, bystanders, teachers, and parents (Arseneault 2018; Copeland et al 2013; Wolke and Lereya 2015) with staggering costs for societies (Kline and Lewis 2018). Bullying negatively impacts their psychosocial well-being, mental, and physical health, as well as their functioning at school or work (see for reviews: Arseneault 2018; Gini and Pozzoli 2013; McDougall and Vaillancourt 2015). These reviews documented that victims are more likely to experience depressive symptoms, social anxiety, lower self-esteem, selfmutilation, suicidal thoughts, and health complaints such as stress, chronic headaches, inflammation, and reduced cortisol regulation. Victims of bullying in childhood are more at risk for unemployment, lower income, and poverty later in life (Brimblecombe et al 2018)
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