School problems: bullying and cyberbullying

Bullying statistics show that this global problem can take many forms, from physical assault and threats to insults and cyberbullying. This is common at school, especially because of race, sexual orientation, appearance, or disability. In any school year, more than one in five students experience bullying. According to 79% of respondents, verbal attacks are the most common abuse. Nearly one in four LGBTQ+ students has been the victim of bullying at school, and the suicide attempt rate is 1.9 times higher for victims of online bullying and 1.7 times higher for victims of school bullying.

Cyberbullying is becoming more and more common. Almost half of the teenagers admit that they have been victims of cyberbullying at least once, and in 32% of cases, the most common type of cyberbullying was insults. In the US, 70% of teenagers reported a situation where someone spread rumours about them online, and 87% of young people encountered cyberbullying.

In France, minors who are victims of bullying or cyberbullying can call unique telephone numbers from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. seven days a week. A team of psychologists, legal experts and digital tool specialists are on hand to advise, intervene and quickly remove reported content from social networks. In addition, the new regulation allows a student who uses violence to be transferred to another school. Previously, it was the victim who had to change schools. A cyberstalker from a school other than the victim’s school can also be punished.