Each year, the International day against violence and bullying at school will be observed on the first Thursday of November. It calls on all countries, organizations and people to come together with the common purpose of ensuring schools are free from fear and violence.

This International day aims to eliminate violence and bullying at school including  cyberbullying, so that all children and young people can fulfil their right to education,  health and well-being. 

The theme for the International Day in 2020 is Together against bullying in school.  Bullying affects students of all ages, in all countries and regions across the world.  Almost one in three students have been bullied in the past month, making it the most  prevalent form of violence in schools. One in ten students has been cyberbullied, and  this form of bullying is on the rise. 

The consequences are serious: Students who are frequently bullied are nearly three  times more likely to feel like an outsider at school and more than twice as likely to  miss school as those who are not frequently bullied. They have worse educational  outcomes and are also more likely to leave formal education after finishing  secondary school. They are twice as likely to feel lonely, to be unable to sleep at night  and to have contemplated suicide.

Physical appearance is the top reason for bullying, followed by ethnicity, nationality  and skin colour. Students who are seen as ‘different’ in any way are more at risk of  bullying, such as girls perceived to look or act like boys, or boys perceived to look or  act like girls. 

Too many people think bullying at school including cyberbullying is an inevitable rite  of passage to adulthood and that is relatively harmless and that little can be done to  stop it. Instead, there is strong evidence that violence and bullying at school including  cyberbullying can be prevented, and effectively addressed if it happens. No student  should live in fear of going to school.  

School communities and the broader education sector must work together in unison to prevent and address bullying. This is called a whole-education approach, and  includes:  

− Strong leadership and robust policy frameworks;  

− curricula to promote a caring school climate; 

− training for teachers and other school staff; 

− a safe psychological and physical school environment  

− mechanisms to report bullying and support for affected students;

− student empowerment and participation;  

− involvement of all stakeholders in the school community including  parents; and  

− collaboration between the education sector and other sectors and a  wide range of partners. 

Addressing all forms of school violence including bullying is essential to achieving the  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 4, which aims to ensure  inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities  for all, and SDG 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies.