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Bullying at school can be a crime

Bullying at school can be a crime

A nasty phenomenon in the school world is bullying. Bullying comes in many forms. It can be mental violence by shutting someone out of a group, name-calling, or physical violence. 

Nowadays bullying often occurs through phones or other messaging devices. A child’s photos can be distributed publicly, or they can receive bullying messages. This is particularly damaging to a child because they can quickly become the laughingstock of thousands of people. This is why parents must not underestimate bullying in social media.

Sometimes bullying is a crime and it should be reported to the police. Crime categories related to bullying are assault, defamation, dissemination of information violating personal privacy and menace. 

What to do if you encounter bullying?

Bring things up bravely with the child. Ask about their school life. Pay attention if something changes in the child’s behaviour. Intervene in bullying as soon as possible. 

Mediation between home, school and the parties is the primary method to solve bullying cases. You can get mediation help from a local mediation office even if it is not a crime yet.

If lighter measures do not help or bullying gets worse, report the offence to the police. In some cases, the offence must be reported immediately, of course. 

If you get bullied:

  • Do not go along with name-calling. 
  • Block the bully in different services and report the bullying to administrators.
  • Keep the bully’s messages, because they can serve as evidence in the matter if you have to report an offence. 
  • Tell your parents or teacher about it and try mediation.
  • Parents can also contact the bully’s parents directly. 

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FAQ

Below you will find answers to schoolchildren’s and parents’ frequently asked questions about the internet, social media and messaging apps.

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