International Day against violence and bullying in schools

Today is the International Day Against Violence and Bullying at School including Cyberbullying – a day that calls on countries, organizations and people together to ensure schools are free from fear and violence. The international day is a contribution to Safe to Learn, a global initiative to end violence in schools so children are free to learn, thrive and pursue their dreams.

“This International Day calls for a major step up in ambition to prevent and eliminate violence and bullying at school including cyberbullying,” said Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education. “We know what works; from strong political leadership and collaboration between partners and the community to better data, teacher training and positive school environments. It’s time for these to be fully applied so we can put an end to the devastating issue of school violence.”

Though often seen as an inevitable rite of passage, bullying can have lifelong consequences on children and their communities. Students who are frequently bullied are twice as likely to miss school as those who are not. Bullied students also have worse educational outcomes, which affects growth and potential for the rest of their lives.

On top of that, bullying usually affects children who are already the most marginalized: 85 per cent of LGBTQI+ students, for example, experience bullying at school, and children with disabilities are almost four times as likely to experience violence than their abled peers. Today and every day, End Violence joins the international community in advocating for strengthened partnerships and initiatives to end violence against children in school – including bullying and cyberbullying.

As we gear up for Together to #ENDviolence, our global campaign and Solutions Summit Series, efforts to protect children in the classroom are more important than ever.

“Without addressing violence in schools – and online – we are undermining broader investments in the education system,” said Dr Howard Taylor, the Executive Director of End Violence. “This international day is an important opportunity to galvanize the strength of partnerships to bring focus and attention to end all forms of violence, including bullying within schools and online.”

Through Safe to Learn, the End Violence Partnership works to protect children in their learning environments on multiple levels. Recent highlights of this work include:

Advocating for change at the national level. In June, Jordan became the 15th country to endorse the Safe to Learn Call to Action, a high-level framework that outlines what needs to happen to end violence in and through schools. Endorsing the Call to Action demonstrates that a country is, at a senior political level, supporting the end of violence in and through schools, making them safe spaces for children and young people to learn, thrive and grow. Learn more about the Call to Action.

Funding partners to deliver school-based protection services. This year, End Violence awarded eight organisations with grants to support projects in Safe to Learn endorser countries. With the latest funding round, Safe to Learn has now invested in five Safe to Learn countries: Cambodia, Lebanon, Nepal, South Sudan and Uganda. These projects will implement activities to accelerate action towards the Call to Action in these countries.

Helping partners navigate challenging COVID-19 contexts. When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, End Violence immediately sprung into action. Partners across the education, protection and online violence sectors worked together to create a series of guidelines and recommendations, including:

• A set of recommendations for governments to help prevent and respond to violence against children in different learning environments
• A set of recommendations for re-opening schools safely in a COVID-19 context
• Guidelines for schools to provide safe, effective online learning experiences during COVID-19

Learn more about the International Day Against Violence and Bullying at School.