spainspain news property featuresCelebrating 10 years online - 1999-2009
1.54 million unique visitors in 2008
Last Updated: Jul 4, 2009 - 9:33 PM CET
Spain Forum Spain Forumspain rss

spain directory



Advanced Search | Latest Links
spain features

spain news
Typically Spanish - Spain News : National

New report on school bullying
larger | smaller
By m.p. - Feb 5, 2007 - 10:08 PM
The Ombudsman, Enrique Múgica, with UNICEF President for Spain, Consuelo Crespo. Photo – EFE.
The Ombudsman, Enrique Múgica, with UNICEF President for Spain, Consuelo Crespo. Photo – EFE.
enlarge photo
It points to an improvement, but shows that abusive behaviour still exists in Spanish schools

One in every three schoolchildren is subject to insults and disparaging name-calling, according to a new report from the Spanish Ombudsman and UNICEF.

The report on violence in schools was presented at a press conference in Madrid on Monday, and polled 3,000 secondary education pupils in 300 schools across Spain.

The Ombudsman, Enrique Múgica, said that while abusive behaviour between equals has improved in general terms compared with the report carried out in 2000, it still exists in the country’s schools ‘in all its forms.’

He said the figures should not lead us to a false optimism, and that preventive measures brought in have only served to stop its advance. It has not been eradicated, he said.

Consuelo Crespo, President of UNICEF in Spain, said 27% of pupils say they are verbally abused, down from 39% in 2000. 0.7% admitted to being victims of sexual abuse, also down from 2000 figures when 2% said they were. 9.8% said they are ignored by their schoolmates.

The report recommends setting up evaluation and orientation committees in schools, as well as courses for the pupils themselves to act as mediators in conflicts. Training courses are also proposed for teachers, plus budget adjustments by both schools and the state to fund such measures.

It called on the media to refrain from alarmist reporting and said families should also become involved in problems of abusive behaviour in schools.


 mobile |  email this article |  printer friendly page

 del.icio.us |  digg |  technorati |  yahoo | StumbleUpon Toolbar Stumble It!
Add to Facebook Facebook | Reddit Reddit | Seed it! Newsvine | Meanme Meneame | Wikio Wikio
Blink Blink | Google Bookmarks Google | Fresqui Fresqui | msn reporters MSN reporters | live spaces Live Spaces
Nt Space My Space | Fark Fark | Mixx Mixx | Twitter Twitter



Readers' comments:
Pepa
06 Feb 2007, 18:00
The problem often starts with the parents, who model the name-calling behavior, and that needs to be addressed. You can't just treat the children and expect the problem to go away. Adults need to be treated for this bad habit too and understand the implications of verbal abuse so they can monitor one another as well.
sarah
14 Feb 2007, 02:43
Report on School Bullying Spain
Please keep to the subject. Opinions published here are of our visitors, not the Typically Spanish team. Comments which go against Spanish laws or which are libellous are not allowed. We reserve the right to delete any comment we wish.

Por favor, céntrate en el tema. Son las opiniones de los internautas, y no las de Typically Spanish. No está permitido verter comentarios contrarios a las leyes españolas o injuriantes. Reservado el derecho a eliminar los comentarios que consideremos fuera de tema.