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Bullying has become a priority issue in Andalucía's schools. SUR School bullying School bullying: Andalucía's regional government proposes both local action and changes to the lawThe Junta is pushing for regulatory changes to make bullying a criminal offence and improved protocols such as transferring a bully to another school, all aimed at curbing this growing scourge in the region's schools
Monday, 2 March 2026, 13:03
The regional government of Andalucía has prioritised the fight against bullying due to the growing number of cases being recorded in the region's schools.
Also because of their seriousness, such as the recent suicides of the young teenagers, Ángeles, in Benalmádena and Sandra in Seville. Both were only 14 years old and their deaths remain under investigation.
The regional education ministry has proposed studying a legislative change so that the bully is always the one to change schools, not the victim, which has been the norm until now, usually at the family's discretion.
To this end, the department headed by María del Carmen Castillo will modify the protocols currently in use for cases of bullying, in addition to raising a legal debate so that bullying is also classified as a criminal offence.
This regional ministry is improving these protocols for dealing with these cases. It is considering strengthening procedures for alerts in such cases so that complaints from families or members of the educational community are communicated to the education inspectorate from the outset.
The aim of this measure is to strengthen the inspectorate's advice, support and monitoring of each case from the outset, regardless of whether the conflict is resolved through action(s) within the school and with the collaboration of the families involved.
The anti-bullying protocol also includes, among its initial measures, guaranteeing the protection and safety of minors while simultaneously preserving their privacy and that of their families.
Bullying cases share several common characteristics, such as intent, repetition over time (since the victim typically suffers it continuously) and the power imbalance established on a physical, psychological and/or social level that the victims also endure, impacting their interpersonal relationships. Moreover, bullying is characterised by helplessness and personalisation and by a collective or group component, as there is usually not just one aggressor, but several.
In cases of bullying, key players even include bystanders, the classmates of both the bullies and their victims. They typically adopt a passive role, but action must be taken to identify them too.
The regional ministry for education is committed to fostering pupil engagement and responsibility by creating a climate of trust, as well as promoting the development of social, communication, emotional and empathetic skills. It also plans to launch awareness campaigns, as well as mediation and peer support activities.
The most tragic face of bullying is suicide. Most of these suicides are preventable and avoidable. They are never caused by a single factor, as the suffering and hopelessness behind suicidal behaviour are usually a combination of multiple factors beyond the psychological, according to experts.
The Junta de Andalucía urges everyone, anyone, to call 024 immediately if they perceive that a loved one needs emotional support due to suicidal thoughts. If an emergency, better still to call 112.
Greater safety and protection for victims
The regional minister for educational development and vocational training, María del Carmen Castillo, advocated for improvements to protocols for addressing cases of bullying, emphasising the need to strengthen the protection and safety of victims. She highlighted the "giant step" taken by the regional government in opening the debate on this "sad reality" with the recent conference held in Cordoba. This gathering, with the participation of many experts, yielded very positive proposals and reflections. María del Carmen Castillo emphasised her department's initiative to study a regulatory amendment so that the standard consequence for bullies is a change of school, with the aim of "strengthening the safety and protection of victims and improving school harmony". Furthermore, Castillo explained that "although the Andalusian education system has a robust structure for promoting coexistence, protection and the mental health of our young people, it is also true that this system faces new challenges that force us to adapt to the pace of social change in this digital age, characterised by constant transformation". She further highlighted the need to eradicate bullying and cyberbullying with proposals such as establishing a minimum age for accessing social media for children and adolescents, as is already the case in Australia, or opening up a legal debate on the possible criminalisation of bullying.