Published Papers
“Same-sex marriage legalization and sexually transmitted infections across Europe” (2023). Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics Vol. 85, Issue 1, 35-69. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/obes.12519.
I examine how same-sex marriage laws affect sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates, using country-level panel data from Europe. Dynamic difference-in-differences models show that same-sex marriage laws decrease the spread of shorter-term (syphilis, gonorrhea) and longer-term infections (HIV, AIDS) among the general population. These effects are persistent over time and are much stronger than other same-sex relationship recognition policies. Further investigation reveals significant heterogeneity; same-sex marriage laws lead to sizable decreases in all STIs among the most at-risk population for an infection, men who have sex with men, with additional positive externalities on the health capital of heterosexual men and women.
“Effects of marriage equality legislation on sexual health of the U.S. population” (2023). Health Economics Vol. 32, Issue 1, 107-133. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4612.
Even though prior research has investigated the relationship between same-sex partnership recognition policies and health outcomes, the impact of same-sex marriage laws on sexually transmitted infections has not received much attention. Using state-level panel data from 2000-2019, I show that marriage equality legislation decreases the spread of (shorter-term) syphilis infections and of (longer-term) HIV and AIDS infections among the general population. Event study analyses correcting for non-staggered treatment implementation confirm these negative effects, but also suggest that standard difference-in-differences models understate the impact of the legislation by up to 8 percentage points. Further analysis supports that these legislation effects operate through three mechanisms: increasing social tolerance, strengthening relationship commitment, and expanding health care access and coverage for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Disaggregating the results by sexual behavior reveals that legal access to same-sex marriage leads to sizable decreases in AIDS rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) (the most at-risk population for an infection). Even though there is economically significant evidence that the legislation improves sexual health of the heterosexual population due to increased utilization of preventive sexual health care, the legislation does not have a direct impact on infection rates for the non-MSM population.
“Identifying the Effects of Bullying Victimization on Schooling” Contemporary Economic Policy Vol. 40, Issue 1 (2022), 162-189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/coep.12554.
I estimate whether bullying leads to worse academic outcomes for bullied students, exploiting state-year differences in anti-bullying laws and within-law heterogeneity that provide variation in the probability of bullying victimization. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, I show that bullying increases the probability of skipping classes and dropping out of high school, and it decreases GPA by up to 5%. Heterogeneity analysis shows that physical bullying imposes a greater burden on males, though females are relatively more sensitive to non-physical bullying. These negative effects persist into adulthood as high school bullying decreases college performance and college graduation.
“Same-sex marriage laws, LGBT hate crimes, and employment discrimination charges” Southern Economic Journal Vol. 88, Issue 3 (2022), 869-905. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/soej.12548.
The impact of same-sex marriage laws on victimization of sexual minorities has not received much attention in the literature. Using state-level panel data within a difference-in-differences framework, I examine how legalization of same-sex marriage affects hate crimes. The results show that same-sex marriage laws decrease sexual orientation-motivated hate crimes, with stronger effects on gay men. This is consistent with the laws increasing tolerance toward and acceptance of LGBT individuals, further supported by complementary analysis from Google Trends data. This is also the first study to examine the effects of marriage equality on allegations of employment discrimination due to sexual orientation based on information from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The findings support that marriage equality laws have an additional beneficial effect: the laws not only decrease hate crimes, but they also decrease the incidence of employment discrimination (at worst, the laws do not affect discriminatory practices).
“Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Youth Health Behaviors” Kyklos Vol. 75, Issue 1 (2022), 75-105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/kykl.12286.
This paper examines the impact of bullying and cyberbullying victimization on youth health behaviors (smoking, drinking, drugs, sexual intercourse) since the literature has not evaluated within the same framework whether bullying on school grounds and cyberbullying have distinct effects on such behaviors. Using within law heterogeneity in anti-(cyber)bullying laws during 2011{2019, I jointly estimate the decision to adopt a health (dis)accumulating behavior along with a multivariate treatment into four victimization groups: no victimization, bullying only at school, only cyberbullying, both bullying and cyberbullying. Identification of students who face one of the four distinct victimization types reveals heterogeneous effects: cyberbullying has stronger deleterious effects than bullying, and students who experience both accumulate even less health capital. Interestingly, female students respond to victimization by increasing their participation in addictive health behaviors (smoking, excess drinking, marijuana, other illicit drugs), whereas male students are prone to engaging in riskier sexual behaviors (multiple sex partners, unprotected sex). These effects remain even after accounting for mediating effects of student depression and truancy suggesting that public policies should invest in strategies to educate the student's social environment (peers, teachers, parents) about their role in preventing (cyber)bullying and in providing effective counseling for victimized students.
“Estimating the effects of sports and physical exercise on bullying” (with Laura Crispin). Contemporary Economic Policy Vol. 40, Issue 2 (2022), 283-303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/coep.12560.
Using three nationally representative high school samples, we estimate the effect of physical activity in general, and sports specifically, on in-school student victimization (i.e., bullying), overall and by gender. Due to non-random selection, we instrument physical activity in a two-stage model using state-level sports participation rates and physical education requirements. We find that physical exercise may decrease, if not prevent, victimization, though competitive sports increase the likelihood of bullying for those on the margin, especially for male students. These results are relevant for administrators and policymakers, who can increase access to physical activities while simultaneously increasing oversight on and off-the-field.
“Sex, Drugs, Alcohol and Subjective Well-Being: Selection or Causation?” Kyklos Vol. 72, Issue 1 (2019), 76-117. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/kykl.12196.
This paper estimates the effects of risky behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol, marijuana, risky sex) on subjective well‐being. To identify these effects from endogenous sorting, I use information from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and a system of simultaneous equations for participation in four risky activities and formation of individual happiness. My results provide evidence that smoking and alcohol decrease subjective well‐being by 2.5% and 2.4%, respectively. By contrast, the relationship between having sex with multiple partners, although positive, is not statistically significant at conventional levels. Nevertheless, these effects dwindle over time until participation in any of these behaviors does not have a long‐run impact on well‐being, with the exception of smoking and alcohol consumption, which have a persistent negative impact on subjective well‐being. The results highlight the importance of controlling for endogeneity of risky behaviors and provide an explanation as to why most individuals who engage in such behaviors do not develop longer‐lasting addictions.
“Balancing College and Kids: Estimating Time Allocation Differences for College Students with and without Children” (with Laura Crispin) Monthly Labor Review (2019), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21916/mlr.2019.3.
Student-parents (i.e., students with dependent children) are an increasingly large share of the college population, but little is known about how they balance the demands of college with those of parenthood, as well as household responsibilities. In this paper, we use data from the American Time Use Survey to explore the time allocation decisions of student-parents, and compare them to their more traditional college peers. We begin with exploratory descriptive statistics, which show significantly less time spent in educational activities, but more time in paid work for student-parents relative to their peers. Our regression analysis shows that being a student-parent reduces the likelihood of paid work by 5 percentage points, and that being a student-parent is associated with 24 fewer minutes of homework and 15 fewer minutes of sleep per day, relative to college students without children.
“The Role of Pregnancy Health Problems on Maternal Smoking Behaviors” (with Jihui Chen) Applied Economics Vol. 50, Issue 43 (2018), 4650-4670. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2018.1458201.
To explore the effects of pregnancy health problems (PHPs) on smoking behaviours during and after pregnancy (‘smoking-inducing’ effect), we estimate a two-period model that jointly determines prenatal and postnatal smoking decisions, taking into consideration the presence of PHPs. While PHPs are likely to reduce prenatal (except for heavy smokers) and postnatal smoking propensity, we still observe considerable postnatal relapse in the sample, which can be attributed to smoking addiction, as well as information asymmetries and maternal stress associated with PHPs. Thus, we advocate for smoking cessation policies and programmes throughout and beyond pregnancy to avoid potential intertemporal substitution between prenatal and postnatal cigarette consumption.
“Work and Play Take School Time Away? The Impact of Extracurricular and Work Time on Educational Time for Live-At-Home College Students” (with Laura Crispin). Applied Economics Vol. 50, Issue 24 (2018), 2698-2718. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2017.1406656.
We use data from the 2003–2014 American Time Use Survey to estimate the effects of time allocated to work and extracurriculars on time spent in educational activities (class and homework) for live-at-home college students, who make up a large share of the college population. Our instrumental variables strategy indicates that students are more likely to substitute time away from homework than from class, and that the effects are generally stronger for work than for extracurriculars. These findings, which remain even after correcting for selection on unobservables through non-parametric matching methods, show that work leads to decreases in the amount of time spent in class by 47 min and on homework by 56 min, whereas extracurriculars lead to a loss of 22 min of homework time. Thus, while after-school activities (extracurriculars and work) may be beneficial with respect to human capital development, they may also have a counteracting, unintended effect due to students’ substitution away from educational pursuits.
“Does Cyberbullying Impact Youth Suicidal Behaviors?” Journal of Health Economics Vol. 56C (2017), 30-46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.09.009.
Even though several youth fatal suicides have been linked with school victimization, there is lack of evidence on whether cyberbullying victimization causes students to adopt suicidal behaviors. To investigate this issue, I use exogenous state-year variation in cyberbullying laws and information on high school students from the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey within a bivariate probit framework, and complement these estimates with matching techniques. I find that cyberbullying has a strong impact on all suicidal behaviors: it increases suicidal thoughts by 14.5 percentage points and suicide attempts by 8.7 percentage points. Even if the focus is on statewide fatal suicide rates, cyberbullying still leads to significant increases in suicide mortality, with these effects being stronger for men than for women. Since cyberbullying laws have an effect on limiting cyberbullying, investing in cyberbullying-preventing strategies can improve individual health by decreasing suicide attempts, and increase the aggregate health stock by decreasing suicide rates.
“Do Anti-Bullying Policies Deter In-School Bullying Victimization?” International Review of Law and Economics Vol. 50, Issue 2 (2017), 1-6. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.irle.2017.03.001.
Despite the significant increase in the number of anti-bullying laws between 2000 and 2015, there is little evidence on whether such policies can decrease the amount of bullying that occurs on school grounds. In this paper, I evaluate the effectiveness of bullying laws on decreasing the share of students who experience in-school bullying victimization using a difference-in-difference framework. The school-level results show that schools in states with such laws had less reported school bullying incidents (up to 8.4%) compared to schools in states without anti-bullying laws, and these effects are much stronger in states where there is a specific clause in the law defining the term bullying. Falsification tests for other crime-related behaviors, on which the anti-bullying laws should not have an effect, corroborate a causal interpretation of the results.
“Extracurricular Participation and Risky Behaviors During High School” (with Laura Crispin and Muriel Zhang). Applied Economics Vol. 49, Issue 34 (2017), 3359-3371. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2016.1259752.
Extracurriculars may reduce risky behaviors (smoking, alcohol, marijuana use) through human and health capital accumulation, crowding out, and positive peer influences, but may also increase them through peer pressure. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study we estimate the contemporaneous and longer term effects of extracurricular participation on 10th and 12th grade risky behaviors. Joint estimation of the participation and risky behavior decisions, which corrects for selection into extracurriculars, shows that extracurricular activities lead to substantial reductions in the likelihood of engagement in risky behaviors, particularly for smoking and marijuana, but these effects are not persistent in the longer run.
“Maternal Life Satisfaction, Marital Status, and Child Skill Formation.” Eastern Economic Journal Vol. 43, Issue 4 (2017), 621-648. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/eej.2015.48.
I examine if the documented positive relationship between marriage and child outcomes represents a maternal life satisfaction effect. By treating life satisfaction and marital status as endogenous in the skill production process, I show that there is a distinct happiness and a distinct marriage effect; marriage increases cognitive skills and decreases conduct problems, while maternal happiness increases social and self-regulation skills to an equivalent of up to £38,000 per year. Thus, promoting healthy and happy marriages can be more effective than policies that promote marriage, and life satisfaction is an avenue through which non-married mothers can produce high quality children.
“Health Inequalities Related to Income in Greece” (with Agelike Nikolaou). International Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research Vol. 7, Issue 1 (2009), 45-57.
The current paper examines the degree of income-related health inequalities in Greece, using data from the European Community Household Panel (1994-2001) and three different binary health indicators. The analysis is based on the concentration index and the regression decomposition method. Our findings indicate that income inequality in health is a burden for the low socioeconomic classes, for both genders and regardless of the health measure used. Age, education and employment status are the most significant contributors to the observed inequality in health.
“Socioeconomic, Health, and Behavioral Determinants of Obesity in Europe” (with Agelike Nikolaou). Review of Applied Economics Vol. 5, Issue 1-2 (2009), 83-97.
In this study we investigate the impact of various socioeconomic, health and behavioural conditions on the prevalence of obesity in nine EU countries using the European Community Household Panel dataset. The effect of those factors on obesity is estimated separately for males and females using a model that follows the standard normal cumulative density function (probit). Our findings indicate that low socioeconomic profile as well as bad health leads to a higher body mass, while smokers are less likely to be obese. These findings follow more or less an analogous trend for the nine European countries and hold for both sexes, appearing, though, to be more consistent for the females.
“Income-Related Inequality in the Distribution of Obesity among Europeans” (with Agelike Nikolaou). Journal of Public Health Vol. 16, Issue 6 (2008), 381-455. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-008-0185-x.
Aim: The current study concentrates on the issue of income related inequality in obesity for the case of European Union, an association, which has not been thoroughly examined in the literature. Subjects and methods: Ten European countries for a period of 4 consecutive years (1998–2001) are under consideration, with the information deriving from the “European Community Household Panel” (ECHP) dataset. In order to elaborate on the above association, the concentration index was selected as a means for measuring quantitatively the degree of inequality. Furthermore, an alternative method was introduced, known as the “indirect standardization method,” so as to examine if the observed level of inequality was over-reported. Results: Treating the European Union as a whole, income inequality in obesity appears to be a burden for the less affluent. Investigation of each country separately reveals that inequality is of most importance for the female population, and especially for the middle-aged one, while no clear association was found for the males. Furthermore, negligence to adjust the models for the education level and the employment status could lead to an over-estimation of the inequality in obesity. Conclusion: Our primary results attest to the existing literature, showing that a BMI with a value greater than 30 is most likely to be an encumbrance for those of low socioeconomic profiles. However, the extent of inequality in the European Union is found to be low. Effective preventive policies should address the low socioeconomic status female population in Europe, and special attention should be given to the middle-aged.
I examine how same-sex marriage laws affect sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates, using country-level panel data from Europe. Dynamic difference-in-differences models show that same-sex marriage laws decrease the spread of shorter-term (syphilis, gonorrhea) and longer-term infections (HIV, AIDS) among the general population. These effects are persistent over time and are much stronger than other same-sex relationship recognition policies. Further investigation reveals significant heterogeneity; same-sex marriage laws lead to sizable decreases in all STIs among the most at-risk population for an infection, men who have sex with men, with additional positive externalities on the health capital of heterosexual men and women.
“Effects of marriage equality legislation on sexual health of the U.S. population” (2023). Health Economics Vol. 32, Issue 1, 107-133. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.4612.
Even though prior research has investigated the relationship between same-sex partnership recognition policies and health outcomes, the impact of same-sex marriage laws on sexually transmitted infections has not received much attention. Using state-level panel data from 2000-2019, I show that marriage equality legislation decreases the spread of (shorter-term) syphilis infections and of (longer-term) HIV and AIDS infections among the general population. Event study analyses correcting for non-staggered treatment implementation confirm these negative effects, but also suggest that standard difference-in-differences models understate the impact of the legislation by up to 8 percentage points. Further analysis supports that these legislation effects operate through three mechanisms: increasing social tolerance, strengthening relationship commitment, and expanding health care access and coverage for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Disaggregating the results by sexual behavior reveals that legal access to same-sex marriage leads to sizable decreases in AIDS rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) (the most at-risk population for an infection). Even though there is economically significant evidence that the legislation improves sexual health of the heterosexual population due to increased utilization of preventive sexual health care, the legislation does not have a direct impact on infection rates for the non-MSM population.
“Identifying the Effects of Bullying Victimization on Schooling” Contemporary Economic Policy Vol. 40, Issue 1 (2022), 162-189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/coep.12554.
I estimate whether bullying leads to worse academic outcomes for bullied students, exploiting state-year differences in anti-bullying laws and within-law heterogeneity that provide variation in the probability of bullying victimization. Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, I show that bullying increases the probability of skipping classes and dropping out of high school, and it decreases GPA by up to 5%. Heterogeneity analysis shows that physical bullying imposes a greater burden on males, though females are relatively more sensitive to non-physical bullying. These negative effects persist into adulthood as high school bullying decreases college performance and college graduation.
“Same-sex marriage laws, LGBT hate crimes, and employment discrimination charges” Southern Economic Journal Vol. 88, Issue 3 (2022), 869-905. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/soej.12548.
The impact of same-sex marriage laws on victimization of sexual minorities has not received much attention in the literature. Using state-level panel data within a difference-in-differences framework, I examine how legalization of same-sex marriage affects hate crimes. The results show that same-sex marriage laws decrease sexual orientation-motivated hate crimes, with stronger effects on gay men. This is consistent with the laws increasing tolerance toward and acceptance of LGBT individuals, further supported by complementary analysis from Google Trends data. This is also the first study to examine the effects of marriage equality on allegations of employment discrimination due to sexual orientation based on information from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The findings support that marriage equality laws have an additional beneficial effect: the laws not only decrease hate crimes, but they also decrease the incidence of employment discrimination (at worst, the laws do not affect discriminatory practices).
“Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Youth Health Behaviors” Kyklos Vol. 75, Issue 1 (2022), 75-105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/kykl.12286.
This paper examines the impact of bullying and cyberbullying victimization on youth health behaviors (smoking, drinking, drugs, sexual intercourse) since the literature has not evaluated within the same framework whether bullying on school grounds and cyberbullying have distinct effects on such behaviors. Using within law heterogeneity in anti-(cyber)bullying laws during 2011{2019, I jointly estimate the decision to adopt a health (dis)accumulating behavior along with a multivariate treatment into four victimization groups: no victimization, bullying only at school, only cyberbullying, both bullying and cyberbullying. Identification of students who face one of the four distinct victimization types reveals heterogeneous effects: cyberbullying has stronger deleterious effects than bullying, and students who experience both accumulate even less health capital. Interestingly, female students respond to victimization by increasing their participation in addictive health behaviors (smoking, excess drinking, marijuana, other illicit drugs), whereas male students are prone to engaging in riskier sexual behaviors (multiple sex partners, unprotected sex). These effects remain even after accounting for mediating effects of student depression and truancy suggesting that public policies should invest in strategies to educate the student's social environment (peers, teachers, parents) about their role in preventing (cyber)bullying and in providing effective counseling for victimized students.
“Estimating the effects of sports and physical exercise on bullying” (with Laura Crispin). Contemporary Economic Policy Vol. 40, Issue 2 (2022), 283-303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/coep.12560.
Using three nationally representative high school samples, we estimate the effect of physical activity in general, and sports specifically, on in-school student victimization (i.e., bullying), overall and by gender. Due to non-random selection, we instrument physical activity in a two-stage model using state-level sports participation rates and physical education requirements. We find that physical exercise may decrease, if not prevent, victimization, though competitive sports increase the likelihood of bullying for those on the margin, especially for male students. These results are relevant for administrators and policymakers, who can increase access to physical activities while simultaneously increasing oversight on and off-the-field.
“Sex, Drugs, Alcohol and Subjective Well-Being: Selection or Causation?” Kyklos Vol. 72, Issue 1 (2019), 76-117. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/kykl.12196.
This paper estimates the effects of risky behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol, marijuana, risky sex) on subjective well‐being. To identify these effects from endogenous sorting, I use information from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and a system of simultaneous equations for participation in four risky activities and formation of individual happiness. My results provide evidence that smoking and alcohol decrease subjective well‐being by 2.5% and 2.4%, respectively. By contrast, the relationship between having sex with multiple partners, although positive, is not statistically significant at conventional levels. Nevertheless, these effects dwindle over time until participation in any of these behaviors does not have a long‐run impact on well‐being, with the exception of smoking and alcohol consumption, which have a persistent negative impact on subjective well‐being. The results highlight the importance of controlling for endogeneity of risky behaviors and provide an explanation as to why most individuals who engage in such behaviors do not develop longer‐lasting addictions.
“Balancing College and Kids: Estimating Time Allocation Differences for College Students with and without Children” (with Laura Crispin) Monthly Labor Review (2019), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21916/mlr.2019.3.
Student-parents (i.e., students with dependent children) are an increasingly large share of the college population, but little is known about how they balance the demands of college with those of parenthood, as well as household responsibilities. In this paper, we use data from the American Time Use Survey to explore the time allocation decisions of student-parents, and compare them to their more traditional college peers. We begin with exploratory descriptive statistics, which show significantly less time spent in educational activities, but more time in paid work for student-parents relative to their peers. Our regression analysis shows that being a student-parent reduces the likelihood of paid work by 5 percentage points, and that being a student-parent is associated with 24 fewer minutes of homework and 15 fewer minutes of sleep per day, relative to college students without children.
“The Role of Pregnancy Health Problems on Maternal Smoking Behaviors” (with Jihui Chen) Applied Economics Vol. 50, Issue 43 (2018), 4650-4670. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2018.1458201.
To explore the effects of pregnancy health problems (PHPs) on smoking behaviours during and after pregnancy (‘smoking-inducing’ effect), we estimate a two-period model that jointly determines prenatal and postnatal smoking decisions, taking into consideration the presence of PHPs. While PHPs are likely to reduce prenatal (except for heavy smokers) and postnatal smoking propensity, we still observe considerable postnatal relapse in the sample, which can be attributed to smoking addiction, as well as information asymmetries and maternal stress associated with PHPs. Thus, we advocate for smoking cessation policies and programmes throughout and beyond pregnancy to avoid potential intertemporal substitution between prenatal and postnatal cigarette consumption.
“Work and Play Take School Time Away? The Impact of Extracurricular and Work Time on Educational Time for Live-At-Home College Students” (with Laura Crispin). Applied Economics Vol. 50, Issue 24 (2018), 2698-2718. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2017.1406656.
We use data from the 2003–2014 American Time Use Survey to estimate the effects of time allocated to work and extracurriculars on time spent in educational activities (class and homework) for live-at-home college students, who make up a large share of the college population. Our instrumental variables strategy indicates that students are more likely to substitute time away from homework than from class, and that the effects are generally stronger for work than for extracurriculars. These findings, which remain even after correcting for selection on unobservables through non-parametric matching methods, show that work leads to decreases in the amount of time spent in class by 47 min and on homework by 56 min, whereas extracurriculars lead to a loss of 22 min of homework time. Thus, while after-school activities (extracurriculars and work) may be beneficial with respect to human capital development, they may also have a counteracting, unintended effect due to students’ substitution away from educational pursuits.
“Does Cyberbullying Impact Youth Suicidal Behaviors?” Journal of Health Economics Vol. 56C (2017), 30-46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhealeco.2017.09.009.
Even though several youth fatal suicides have been linked with school victimization, there is lack of evidence on whether cyberbullying victimization causes students to adopt suicidal behaviors. To investigate this issue, I use exogenous state-year variation in cyberbullying laws and information on high school students from the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey within a bivariate probit framework, and complement these estimates with matching techniques. I find that cyberbullying has a strong impact on all suicidal behaviors: it increases suicidal thoughts by 14.5 percentage points and suicide attempts by 8.7 percentage points. Even if the focus is on statewide fatal suicide rates, cyberbullying still leads to significant increases in suicide mortality, with these effects being stronger for men than for women. Since cyberbullying laws have an effect on limiting cyberbullying, investing in cyberbullying-preventing strategies can improve individual health by decreasing suicide attempts, and increase the aggregate health stock by decreasing suicide rates.
“Do Anti-Bullying Policies Deter In-School Bullying Victimization?” International Review of Law and Economics Vol. 50, Issue 2 (2017), 1-6. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.irle.2017.03.001.
Despite the significant increase in the number of anti-bullying laws between 2000 and 2015, there is little evidence on whether such policies can decrease the amount of bullying that occurs on school grounds. In this paper, I evaluate the effectiveness of bullying laws on decreasing the share of students who experience in-school bullying victimization using a difference-in-difference framework. The school-level results show that schools in states with such laws had less reported school bullying incidents (up to 8.4%) compared to schools in states without anti-bullying laws, and these effects are much stronger in states where there is a specific clause in the law defining the term bullying. Falsification tests for other crime-related behaviors, on which the anti-bullying laws should not have an effect, corroborate a causal interpretation of the results.
“Extracurricular Participation and Risky Behaviors During High School” (with Laura Crispin and Muriel Zhang). Applied Economics Vol. 49, Issue 34 (2017), 3359-3371. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2016.1259752.
Extracurriculars may reduce risky behaviors (smoking, alcohol, marijuana use) through human and health capital accumulation, crowding out, and positive peer influences, but may also increase them through peer pressure. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study we estimate the contemporaneous and longer term effects of extracurricular participation on 10th and 12th grade risky behaviors. Joint estimation of the participation and risky behavior decisions, which corrects for selection into extracurriculars, shows that extracurricular activities lead to substantial reductions in the likelihood of engagement in risky behaviors, particularly for smoking and marijuana, but these effects are not persistent in the longer run.
“Maternal Life Satisfaction, Marital Status, and Child Skill Formation.” Eastern Economic Journal Vol. 43, Issue 4 (2017), 621-648. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/eej.2015.48.
I examine if the documented positive relationship between marriage and child outcomes represents a maternal life satisfaction effect. By treating life satisfaction and marital status as endogenous in the skill production process, I show that there is a distinct happiness and a distinct marriage effect; marriage increases cognitive skills and decreases conduct problems, while maternal happiness increases social and self-regulation skills to an equivalent of up to £38,000 per year. Thus, promoting healthy and happy marriages can be more effective than policies that promote marriage, and life satisfaction is an avenue through which non-married mothers can produce high quality children.
“Health Inequalities Related to Income in Greece” (with Agelike Nikolaou). International Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research Vol. 7, Issue 1 (2009), 45-57.
The current paper examines the degree of income-related health inequalities in Greece, using data from the European Community Household Panel (1994-2001) and three different binary health indicators. The analysis is based on the concentration index and the regression decomposition method. Our findings indicate that income inequality in health is a burden for the low socioeconomic classes, for both genders and regardless of the health measure used. Age, education and employment status are the most significant contributors to the observed inequality in health.
“Socioeconomic, Health, and Behavioral Determinants of Obesity in Europe” (with Agelike Nikolaou). Review of Applied Economics Vol. 5, Issue 1-2 (2009), 83-97.
In this study we investigate the impact of various socioeconomic, health and behavioural conditions on the prevalence of obesity in nine EU countries using the European Community Household Panel dataset. The effect of those factors on obesity is estimated separately for males and females using a model that follows the standard normal cumulative density function (probit). Our findings indicate that low socioeconomic profile as well as bad health leads to a higher body mass, while smokers are less likely to be obese. These findings follow more or less an analogous trend for the nine European countries and hold for both sexes, appearing, though, to be more consistent for the females.
“Income-Related Inequality in the Distribution of Obesity among Europeans” (with Agelike Nikolaou). Journal of Public Health Vol. 16, Issue 6 (2008), 381-455. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-008-0185-x.
Aim: The current study concentrates on the issue of income related inequality in obesity for the case of European Union, an association, which has not been thoroughly examined in the literature. Subjects and methods: Ten European countries for a period of 4 consecutive years (1998–2001) are under consideration, with the information deriving from the “European Community Household Panel” (ECHP) dataset. In order to elaborate on the above association, the concentration index was selected as a means for measuring quantitatively the degree of inequality. Furthermore, an alternative method was introduced, known as the “indirect standardization method,” so as to examine if the observed level of inequality was over-reported. Results: Treating the European Union as a whole, income inequality in obesity appears to be a burden for the less affluent. Investigation of each country separately reveals that inequality is of most importance for the female population, and especially for the middle-aged one, while no clear association was found for the males. Furthermore, negligence to adjust the models for the education level and the employment status could lead to an over-estimation of the inequality in obesity. Conclusion: Our primary results attest to the existing literature, showing that a BMI with a value greater than 30 is most likely to be an encumbrance for those of low socioeconomic profiles. However, the extent of inequality in the European Union is found to be low. Effective preventive policies should address the low socioeconomic status female population in Europe, and special attention should be given to the middle-aged.