Five-decade UK study finds that aggression at school leads to better-paying jobs, while those with emotional instability went on to earn less

Five-decade UK study finds that aggression at school leads to better-paying jobs, while those with emotional instability went on to earn less

Children who displayed aggressive behaviour at school, such as bullying or temper outbursts, are likely to earn more money in middle age, according to a five-decade study that upends the maxim that bullies do not prosper.

They are also more likely to have higher job satisfaction and be in more desirable jobs, say researchers from the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex.

The paper, published today, used data about almost 7,000 people born in 1970 whose lives have been tracked by the British Cohort Study. The research team examined data from primary school teachers who assessed the children’s social and emotional skills when they were 10 years old in 1980, and matched it to their lives at the age of 46 in 2016.

“We found that those children who teachers felt had problems with attention, peer relationships and emotional instability did end up earning less in the future, as we expected, but we were surprised to find a strong link between aggressive behaviour at school and higher earnings in later life,” said Prof Emilia Del Bono, one of the study’s authors.

  • czech@lemm.ee
    63·
    9 months ago

    They didn’t suggest bullying is exclusive to capitalism, right?

    Maybe bullies are more prosperous in particular economic systems.

      • LinkOpensChest.wav
        3·
        9 months ago

        Mutual aid is also part of the human condition, so it’s not like we need systems like capitalism and authoritarianism to survive

        There are definitely systems in which bullies are far less likely to prosper

        • rebelsimile@sh.itjust.works
          2·
          9 months ago

          I can’t think of a single system we’ve set up that bullies haven’t taken over and ruined. Capitalism is one among many. Yes, capitalism bad, but bad perspective worse.

          • LinkOpensChest.wav
            2·
            9 months ago

            a single system we’ve set up

            You’re right. We’ve pretty consistently fucked things up as western nations. We all subscribe to an inherently inequitable system and then fail to entertain alternatives. My country (USA) even straight-up denies residency and citizenship to anyone who doesn’t join the capitalist circlejerk.

            • AmidFuror@fedia.io
              1·
              9 months ago

              Your comment implies there are non-Western nations that don’t allow bullies to thrive. If you can provide examples that would answer the commenter’s question.

    • TCGM@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      It’s worse. Certain economic and social systems are designed to make the only viable, or most viable, survival strategy to be a sociopath or worse. Most people are forced to cosplay that at some level in these systems, whether they have those traits naturally or not, in order to survive. And despite human nature being communal, it’s more powerful in survival adaptation.