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.

  • @emptyother
    3•3 months ago

    “Who teachers felt had problems…” Oh. Teachers. Those people who comes in AFTER things has gone far past reasonable limits, and assigns blame based on whoever the majority of the class points out as the instigator. 😒

    • @[email protected]
      7•3 months ago

      Right.

      This whole article is fucking bizarre. They act as if teachers judgments of students is somehow akin to psychologist diagnosis.

      Sounds like an excuse to bully disabled people or at least slow reform to me.

      What’s up with all the regressionist stuff going on?

        • @[email protected]
          5•3 months ago

          I’ve never heard the word “Glowies” used irl before what is that?

          Could you elaborate more on what you mean by softened up? In what way?

          • 𓅂𓄿
            -3•3 months ago

            @stevedidwhat_infosec It just means CIA. You shouldn’t, it’s a pretty dark reference to when internet lolcow obsessives encouraged a schizophrenic operating systems coder who lived with his parents to say racist stuff. He does have one famous rant he rehashed s lot where he says “CIA [racial slur] all glow in the dark you can see them coming”. At this point it’s transcended any racist connotation as people have mistakenly picked it up without realizing, and it’s a meme

            • @[email protected]
              7•3 months ago

              Ohoho but that’s where you’re wrong

              TempleOS IS LIIIIIIIIFE

              In all seriousness though, really sad that he passed before he could get real lasting help for his problems. RIP to another creative mind taken by mental illness.

              • 𓅂𓄿
                2•3 months ago

                @stevedidwhat_infosec Fr I don’t think people understand you can simultaneously find it funny and be deeply disturbed by what severe and acute mental illness and online reactionaries can do to someone.

                • @[email protected]
                  1•3 months ago

                  Some just choose to live a more sensitive life so as to foster growth in more of our own species without excess stress or brashness in an already rough world, that is - for 99% of the population

                  I can see where most are coming from, it can be tough to form accurate judgments of people online so verifying/making good judgment calls of people during social interactions (this site, namely, and other like it) can be tough - most jump to conclusions