School bullying: half of children stay silent

Half of children bullied at school do not tell their parents, friends, classmates or teachers. Child psychiatrist Celso Arango warns in Madrid, Spain, on 28 September 2026 that schools need to spot risks to children’s mental health earlier. Speaking at a session of Spain’s Royal National Academy of Medicine, he calls for schools and health services to work more closely together.

Some children face a much higher risk

A study in the Madrid region looked at 1,608 pupils with special educational needs linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. They were almost six times as likely to experience bullying as their classmates. The risk was especially high for children who had difficulty with language or social communication. For some diagnoses, including autism spectrum disorders, it was nearly nine times as high, Arango says.

A school programme shows promise

LINKlusive ran in 20 schools and was assessed across thousands of pupils. Among primary school children with special educational needs who took part, bullying fell by 45.6 per cent. It did not fall in the comparison group. Arango says the findings need caution because the results depend on the children’s age.

He wants schools to help identify problems sooner, support teachers and families, and connect children who need help with health professionals. The next step, he says, is stronger cooperation between education and health services.

Topics: Education · Social affairs · Health · Culture

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com