Adults Blind to School Bullies

One-quarter of boys in middle school or vocational school have been in a fight or threatened physically. For girls, the number was ten percent. Meanwhile one-in-six boys and one-in-ten girls say they've been physically attacked.

Bullying has increased particularly in middle schools. Seven percent of girls and ten percent of boys say they are bullied at least once a week during the school term. In high school, bullying is less rampant.

Adults Blind to Bullying Bullied pupils rarely receive support from school staff, according to the study. About three-quarters of school bullying incidents go undetected by officials. Female high school and vocational students also reported sexual violence. Five percent of high school girls and 12 percent of vocational female students say they have been forced to have sex against their will. Some 59,600 eighth and ninth grade students, 28,600 high school students and 22,900 vocational students participated in the study. The pupils live in southern and eastern Finland, and Lapland. YLE