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Chronicle.lu recently spoke with a local mother about her son’s experience of being bullied at school.
According to the United Nations (UN), bullying is defined as repeated aggressive behaviour that intentionally causes harm, distress or fear to another person, often occurring in situations “where there is a real or perceived power imbalance”. Bullying can take various forms, including physical, verbal, psychological and cyberbullying, significantly affecting a person’s well-being, self-esteem and mental health.
Kim, a mother who agreed to share her story with Chronicle.lu, spoke about the experience of her son Leo, who faced bullying while attending primary school in Esch-sur-Alzette.
"Actually, it began in first grade, so he was like six and a half when it started," Kim recalled. This was in 2019. "He had a class where there were a lot of boys, all very full of energy and not very nice to each other. […] So there were often conflicts between the boys in the class [...] In the beginning, it was just fights between all of them. The teacher at that time told me that Leo wasn't always perfect in class because he moved a lot. And also, sometimes when you kind of talk back or think you're smarter, it can be difficult. I knew that my boy was like that, so I understood it wasn’t easy for the teacher," she said.
Leo often spoke to his mother about unpleasant situations at school, and Kim would discuss these incidents with the teacher. However, the teacher argued that Leo was not telling the whole story. Kim hoped that Leo would find his place among his classmates. "He was little, searching for himself in class, and it was very difficult for him. We didn't really believe him, actually, I think," she admitted.
The first year of school passed, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which students spent half of their time at home. According to Kim, this period was slightly easier, though fights still occurred. However, Leo later had a conflict with a teacher, who allegedly punished him for bad behaviour by not allowing him to use an iPad.
Kim recalled that Leo threatened to hit his teacher, who allegedly taunted him in return. She said Leo regretted his words but the teacher continued to mock him, with classmates later joining in. Kim said she confronted the teacher about the incident. The alleged response received was that her son should be put on medication.
The second school year in this class ended and while the teacher changed, the same group of children remained. According to Kim, the students had already seen an adult set an example, so they felt that they, too, could bully Leo. "At that time, he didn’t have any friends protecting him, so he was really alone in that situation. Then, in third grade, he got another teacher who wasn’t any better,” Kim reported, adding that there was a lot of “aggression throughout the school”.
Kim said she spoke with other parents, many of whom reportedly noticed negative changes in their previously kind children, who had also started fighting. She tried to teach Leo to report problems to the teachers. However, he told her the teachers did not care or react.
"At that point, we became very angry and started analysing the situation closely. We began to realise that the real problem was the school and its management. The people in charge had lost control - there was bullying and fighting everywhere, all the time," Kim shared.
She alleged that a gym teacher even physically reprimanded Leo on one occasion. When he told his parents, Leo’s father reportedly spoke with the teacher, telling him not to hit his child. Verbal abuse is said to have followed, and eventually Leo stopped attending physical education (PE) classes. “He started developing red eczema due to stress. He felt sick every morning. He had headaches and stomach aches because he was so anxious about going to PE with that teacher," Kim recalled.
Kim and her family started seeking help outside the school. She claimed that the only action taken within the school was bringing in an anti-bullying specialist, who asked Leo to explain his experiences in front of those who had allegedly bullied him. When the children denied his claims, the specialist accused him of lying, said Kim.
The school administration allegedly suggested transferring Leo to another school, but Kim said she wanted to address the issue rather than run away from it. However, when Leo "started talking about not wanting to live anymore, we decided we just wanted him out of that school," Kim said.
By then, Leo was ten years old. The family reached out to various institutions, including the police, which they hoped would have helped resolve the school situation.
"Then we found out that there was no place to help children under twelve. […] Yes, there was one place, but they didn’t deal with ten-year-olds. And I asked them: ‘Where do you think bullying in high school comes from? It starts here. You have to begin addressing the problem at the root.’ We even sent a letter to the Minister of Education, but we never got a response. Nothing. Just nothing. As if it didn’t exist," Kim said. "Once you realise that the ones who should help you don’t help, you just change the kid’s school”.
Leo has now been attending a new school for two years, which Kim described as completely different from his previous experience.
According to Kim, when it comes to addressing bullying, "Luxembourg is not doing that much. And the thing is, they’re not listening. That’s the problem. They just make it look good on paper. But we discovered a real issue in the system - there is no place for parents to seek help for children under twelve. That’s terrible because that’s why so many problems in high schools exist later on.”
Ministry response
Chronicle.lu subsequently reached out to Luxembourg’s Ministry of Education, Children and Youth regarding the measures in place to prevent bullying in schools. In its response, the ministry emphasised its strong focus on mental health support for pupils and underlined the importance of early intervention. Relevant initiatives include actions outlined in the 2022-2026 National Action Plan on Children’s Rights and the National Mental Health Plan, which aim to raise awareness among pupils, staff and parents while improving access to specialised services. Bullying and cyberbullying are addressed as mental health concerns that affect the entire school community.
According to the ministry, each primary school has its own guidelines and intervention strategies before, during and after incidents of bullying. These range from prevention and detection to response once a situation has occurred. All members of the school community, including parents, are responsible for remaining attentive and ready to act.
The classroom teachers serve as the “first point of contact” for pupils and play a key role in identifying concerns and coordinating responses. They are supported by I-EBS staff, who assist with “learning or socio-emotional challenges” and may provide strategies in cases of bullying. The Centre for Socio-Emotional Development (CDSE), part of a national network of competence centres, supports children with difficulties in “expression, understanding and regulation of emotions”, while also acting as a resource for school professionals, families and pupils. In more serious cases, socio-therapeutic centres offer “intensive socio-educational support” outside the classroom for children aged six to twelve, in coordination with the CDSE and parents.
The ministry outlined several initiatives aimed at tackling bullying in schools. The “Stop Mobbing” unit, established in 2013, involves CDSE mediators who intervene in serious cases using a “no-blame” approach to support pupils, teachers and parents by focusing on constructive solutions. The “Exit Mobbing” campaign, launched in March 2023, raised awareness through multilingual flyers and animations about violence and bullying. The government-backed Bee Secure programme promotes safe digital use and cyberbullying prevention, offering regular updates to teachers and developing new training modules. The “S-Team: Setz dech an!” initiative encourages children to take responsibility and show civic courage through peer-led projects that aim to improve the social climate in schools and after-school facilities.
According to the ministry, teachers receive anti-bullying training both during their initial education and through ongoing professional development offered by the National Education Training Institute (IFEN). These courses aim to raise awareness, help staff identify signs of bullying, and provide tools for prevention and intervention. Selected support staff also benefit from additional training in de-escalation techniques. The ministry added that the national curriculum promotes values such as “respect, democracy and inclusion”, as reinforced by the 2023 law on compulsory schooling, which emphasises preparing students for democratic citizenship. Pupils regularly engage with these principles through cross-curricular themes and the “Life and Society” course, noted the ministry.
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