# The impact of anti-bullying laws on children’s social-behavioral skills

## TL;DR

This study examines how anti-bullying laws affect children's social skills, finding limited overall impact but notable benefits for low-income and Hispanic children.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on the differential impact of anti-bullying laws on children from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.

## Key findings

- Low-income children showed improved self-control and interpersonal skills due to anti-bullying laws.
- Hispanic children exhibited reduced externalizing behaviors under these laws.
- Stronger anti-bullying policies correlated with better interpersonal skills in children.

## Abstract

Bullying and violence, both on and off campuses, significantly impact children’s well-being. To address school bullying, every U.S. state gradually developed and implemented school anti-bullying laws (ABLs) and regulations between 2000 and 2015. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of ABLs using a difference-in-differences model and nationally representative samples of U.S. elementary school children. While state ABLs show limited overall effects on children’s social-behavioral skills, significant improvements are observed in self-control and interpersonal skills among low-income children, along with reduced externalizing behaviors among Hispanic children. States with strong or moderate ABLs show greater improvements in children’s interpersonal skills compared to states with weaker policies. These findings indicate social disparities in school bullying outcomes and highlight the importance of stronger policy enforcement.