Behind the numbers: Ending school violence and bullying
Abstract
Almost one in three students (32%) has been bullied by their peers at school at least once in the last month. In all regions except Europe and North America, physical bullying is the most common and sexual bullying is the second most common type of bullying. In Europe and North America, psychological bullying is the most common type of bullying. Cyberbullying affects as many as one in ten children. More than one in three students (36%) has been involved in a physical fight with another student and almost one in three (32.4%) has been physically attacked at least once in the past year. Information about sexual violence perpetrated by peers is limited but evidence from sub-Saharan Africa suggests that a schoolmate is more likely to be the perpetrator than a teacher, especially for boys.
Globally, physical violence perpetrated by teachers is uncommon but, in some countries, children report high levels of physical violence at the hands of their teachers. Corporal punishment, which is a form of physical violence, is still allowed in schools in 68 countries and is frequently used in many of these countries.
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