At least two children become victims of bullying in educational institutions every day

234 administrative reports on bullying in educational institutions were filed this year in Ukraine. This is 7% more than during the same period last year, when 219 reports were filed.

If we look only at the school months — January to May and September to October — the average number of reports this year is 33 per month. For comparison, in 2021 there were even more — 37 per month, but back then many cases involved students who now often study online because of the war.

More than half of all reports — 132 cases, or 56% — were filed for bullying committed by minors (Part 3 of Article 173-4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). This share stayed the same compared to last year, but it is almost twice as high as before the full-scale invasion.

33 protocols were issued for bullying committed by a group or repeated bullying (Parts 2 and 4 of Article 173-4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Their share has remained almost unchanged for several years at around 14–15%. However, these cases are handled the worst — only half of them make it to court.

At the same time, 56 violations were recorded for bullying (Part 1 of Article 173-4) — that’s every fifth bullying case. Compared to 2021, the situation has improved: back then, such cases accounted for 39%.

Currently, courts have already reviewed 76% of bullying-related cases. The best progress is seen in cases involving the responsibility of the head of an educational institution for failing to report bullying (Part 5 of Article 173-4): in 85% of such cases, a decision has already been issued.