School violence and bullying on the rise in Greece

Eurochild member The Smile of the Child, launched an awareness campaign in schools across Greece to tackle the issue.

The Smile of the Child, in collaboration with its European Student Volunteer Network ‘YouSmile’ and its specialised scientific staff, organised an event in the context of its Panhellenic School Awareness Campaign “Speak Now” (“Mila Tora”) on the phenomenon of school violence and bullying, which has assumed dramatic proportions in Greece over the last years.

Eirini Leriou, researcher and Coordinator of the National Observatory for Child Well-being of the Organisation, presented the findings of a survey (here in Greek) on bullying which which reached with 2.293 children across Greece in 2022-2023.

According to the survey results:

• 1 in 3 children (32.4%) in Greece experience some form of bullying
• 1 in 6 children across the country say they feel their school does not teach them not to bully their classmates
• There is an increase of 174% in prevention interventions on school violence and bullying for 22,340 students, 3,467 teachers and 1,848 in parents

At the event the student volunteers of ‘YouSmile’, and members of the Child Rights Team of the Organization, shared their proposals for tackling bullying.

Smile of the Child also calls on the Greek Government to implement measures to help children, families and the teachers:

• The presence of a psychologist specialised in bullying is necessary in each school
• Regular training of teachers on the subject of bullying
• Certified programs designed for each age group that brings awareness to the children.

Further info: Press Release (in EN)