Violence and bullying at school worldwide

Date: 7th February 2017
Category: Bullying

A new UNESCO report found that an estimated 246 million children and adolescents experience school violence and bullying in some form every year.

According to the data from 19 low and middle-income countries analysed in the report, 34 percent of students aged 11 to 13 have reported being bullied in the previous month, with eight percent reporting daily bullying.

All children and adolescents are at risk of school violence and bullying, the UN agency reported, but bullies target vulnerable factors, such as poverty or social status associated with ethnicity, linguistic or cultural differences, migration or displacement.

Children who have a disability or look different, or young people whose sexual orientation, gender identity or expression do not conform to traditional gender norms are also at increased risk of school violence and bullying.

The report recommends priority actions to address school violence and bullying, including engaging children and adolescents, building education staff capacity and establishing reporting systems.

• Read more about the report from the UNESCO webpage here.
• Download the global status report on school violence and bullying here.
• Read Together's State of Children's Rights report 2016 on bullying in Scotland - page 74.