UNESCO Releases Report on School Violence and Bullying
UNESCO Releases Report on School Violence and Bullying
Millions of girls and boys suffer school-related violence every year, according to a new report by UNESCO and the Institute of School Violence Prevention at Ewha Womans University (Seoul, Republic of Korea).
Thirty-four per cent of students aged 11–13 reported being bullied in the previous month, with eight per cent reporting daily bullying, according to data from 19 low and middle-income countries analysed in the School Violence and Bullying: Global Status Report.
The report was presented on 17 January at an international meeting in Seoul, the International Symposium on School Violence and Bullying: From Evidence to Action.
It aims to support global efforts to ensure that all children and adolescents benefit from the fundamental right to education in a safe learning environment.
The event is co‐organized by UNESCO and the Institute of School Violence Prevention at Ewha Womans University.
“School violence and bullying is a grave violation of the right to education,” says the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, adding that “the symposium and report are part of UNESCO’s effort to ensure that schools and other learning environments are safe and secure for all.”
School violence and bullying, which includes physical, psychological and sexual harassment, is found to have a negative impact on students’ learning, as well as their mental and emotional health.
A range of studies, cited in a recent UNESCO evidence review, shows that children and young people who have experienced homophobic bullying are at increased risk of stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, isolation, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
The Global Status Report highlights that school-related violence is driven by unequal power dynamics often reinforced by gender norms and stereotypes, sexual orientation, and other factors that contribute to marginalization such as poverty, ethnic identity, or language.
In a 2016 opinion poll on the experience of bullying to which 100,000 young people in 18 countries responded, 25 per cent reported that they had been bullied because of their physical appearance, 25 per cent because of their gender or sexual orientation and 25 per cent because of their ethnicity or national origin.
The Report recommends priority actions to address school violence and bullying, notably strengthening leadership, promoting awareness, establishing partnerships and engaging children and adolescents, building education staff capacity, establishing reporting systems and improving the collection data and evidence.
The Symposium in Seoul will offer the international community an opportunity to address the 2016 UN Secretary General report on protecting children from bullying. It will bring together more than 250 participants from 70 countries.
Photo courtesy: UNESCO
