The willingness to pay to reduce school bullying

The number of programs used to reduce bullying in schools is increasing, but often with a lack of understanding of the effectiveness and monetary benefits. This paper uses a discrete choice experiment conducted in Sweden in the spring of 2010 to elicit the willingness to pay (WTP) to reduce school bullying. Non-parametric and parametric approaches indicate a mean marginal WTP of 5.95–8.48 Swedish kronor (€0.66–0.95) for each reduced victim of bullying. The aggregate societal WTP for each reduced statistical victim of bullying, referred to here as the value of a statistical bullying-victim (VSBV), is then 585,090–835,280 Swedish kronor (€65,446–93,431). The VSBV may be interpreted as the aggregate WTP to prevent one statistical case of a bullying-victim. The result may be used to conduct economic evaluations of antibullying programs, which is demonstrated here by a simple cost–benefit analysis of one of the most common antibullying programs. The VSBV may also be relevant for providing policymakers with useful information on taxpayers’ preferred allocations to antibullying programs in general.

► We estimate the societal willingness (WTP) to pay to reduce school bullying. ► We estimate mean marginal WTP to 5.95–8.48 Swedish kronor (€0.66–0.95). ► We also calculate the aggregate societal WTP per reduced victim of bullying (VSBV). ► The VSBV is estimated to 585,090–835,280 Swedish kronor (€65,446–93,431). ► Results can be used for e.g. economic evaluations of antibullying programs.