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■ SUZANNE O’CONNELL
suzanne@costablancapeople.com
Until recently bullying or ‘el acoso escolar’ didn’t seem to be such a big issue in Spanish schools. However, last October an eleven year old, Diego, committed suicide in Madrid allegedly as a result of bullying.
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he child threw himself out of the window of the fifth floor flat and, although investigations still continue, this has brought the issue out into the public. Diario Informacion claims that the
Tues 26th January - Mon 1st February 2016
Concerns about bullying in Spanish schools Reason for being bullied They didn’t know To annoy them Because they are weaker As a joke Because of jealousy Because they’re different
Boys 17.4% 10.10% 8.3% 7.3% 6.7% 5.6%
Girls 15.2% 9.7% 5.00% 5.3% 8.7% 4.8%
cases of school bullying have increased considerably. A recent study suggests that 40% of children between the ages of 7 and 9 years old are the victims of bullying. These ‘third grade’ children have been identified as being particularly vulnerable. This is also the year group where a focus on testing has recently been introduced. This age group has been identified as being more at risk of bullying than those children in the first year of primary school or even pupils of 12 years old. The statistics come from the study ‘Informe Cisneros X School bullying and violence in Spain’ and they suggest that it is the second and third year of primary school when children are most at risk. Eight year olds are twice as likely to be bullied at school as those who are 12. Bullying can take many different CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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