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Is bullying punishable?.
Bullying is unwanted behavior. But how does punishment work at school and beyond? What punishments should schools give? And is bullying against the law? In this article we answer these questions.
punishment at school
A school can punish bullies if they break the school rules. Each school has its own policy on punishments. This sanction policy describes which punishments the school gives in which situation. This policy is the same for every student. A student can get extra work, warnings, a time-out, or can even be suspended or expelled. The sanction policy must meet some conditions:
- A punishment must fit the behavior.
- To avoid unfairness, similar behavior must be punished the same way.
Is bullying punishable by law?
No, bullying is not punishable by law. Still, bullying can lead to another crime: for example, if your child is discriminated against or threatened. Or if someone hacks into your child’s computer or social media account without permission. In these cases, bullying is punishable and you can report it to the police. Is your child under 16? Go with your child and bring proof. This can be dates and times, pictures of bruises, email and internet addresses, usernames and nicknames of those involved, saved chats, screenshots, or photos of online bullying. You can find more about cyberbullying on the VPN Gids website. If bullying gets extreme you can contact the trusted inspector of the education inspectorate. They can give personal advice on the next steps.
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