Addressing bullying in Luxembourg: prevention, support, and sanctions

Bullying, both online and offline, remains a concern across schools in Luxembourg, prompting a growing focus on early prevention, coordinated intervention, and support for both victims and perpetrators. 
According to the Luxembourg Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (MENJE), no centrally compiled statistics currently exist for bullying or cyberbullying cases reported directly by schools and after-school care centres in Luxembourg. However, there is ongoing communication with local and regional actors to support bullying prevention efforts and the protection of affected individuals.

In terms of long-term trends, the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study conducted in cooperation with the University of Luxembourg, the MENJE, and the Ministry of Health provides useful insights. According to this study, which surveyed 8,687 pupils aged 11 to 18 in 2018, Luxembourg has seen a decline in school bullying cases between 2006 and 2018:

Who is most at risk? Key factors that influence bullying

Certain demographic and social factors appear to influence both the likelihood of being bullied and of engaging in bullying behaviour. According to the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Luxembourg report and international comparisons, gender, age, family context, and immigration status all play a role.

Gender differences: girls are slightly more likely to be victims of bullying, whereas boys are more often the perpetrators and tend to bully more intensively.

Age: younger children are more frequently targeted, and as pupils get older, the risk of being bullied tends to decrease. Among those who bully others, girls typically show a decline in such behaviour with age, while for boys, this trend is not significant.

Socioeconomic background: pupils from lower-income families are more likely to report being victims.

Immigration status: immigrant pupils are more likely to be both victims and perpetrators of bullying.

Family environment: children living with both parents are statistically less likely to be involved in bullying, either as victims or perpetrators.

Support steps for victims, witnesses, and families

Whether a child is a victim, a witness, or is showing signs of emotional struggle, the key lies in early intervention, open communication, and coordinated support between schools, families, and specialised services.

Primary education: early detection and first response

In primary education, the classroom teacher serves as the first point of contact and a trusted figure for pupils experiencing difficulties. Teachers are responsible for intervening when they observe signs of concern or behavioural changes in a student. Legally, teachers must inform parents if issues arise that may affect a child's academic progress.

They also play a central role in maintaining communication with parents, working together to develop strategies to prevent or address bullying.

Parental involvement and support resources

During the mandatory parent meeting held before the All-Saints’ Day break, teachers provide information about available local and regional support resources, including relevant contact points. Depending on the situation, members of the socio-educational team may also attend these meetings to offer additional guidance and support.

Collaborative intervention: teachers, ESEB, and CI

If a bullying case is identified, the teacher collaborates with the educational team to assess the situation and plan the next steps. If needed, the Support Team for Pupils with Special Educational Needs (Équipe de soutien pour élèves à besoins éducatifs particuliers – ESEB) can be involved to conduct an initial assessment and suggest interventions. Students may also approach ESEB directly.

Once ESEB becomes involved, parental consent is required to provide ongoing psychological, social, and personal support. If the issue persists despite intervention, the Inclusion Commission (Commission d’inclusion – CI) may be consulted to propose more tailored and intensive assistance.

Specialised support for complex cases

For more serious or complex cases, Luxembourg’s competence centres can provide specialised assistance. One such centre focuses on socio-emotional development and offers expert guidance to ESEB teams, teachers, families, and pupils.

Additionally, socio-therapeutic centres (Centres socio-thérapeutiques – CSTs) offer tailored educational programmes for pupils in severe distress. These programmes concentrate on behavioural support with the goal of helping pupils reintegrate into their regular school environment.

Secondary education: prevention and counselling

In secondary education, each high school hosts a Psycho-Social and School Support Service (Service psycho-social et d'accompagnement scolaires – SePAS) operating under the educational and psycho-social department. SePAS runs prevention programmes that promote emotional skills, reduce risks linked to social media, and encourage non-violent communication.

SePAS also provides psychological and social counselling to victims and families, supporting them in building resilience and recovering from bullying.

Student protection delegates: a safeguarding role

Every secondary school is required to appoint one or more Student Protection Delegates (Délégué(s) à la protection des élèves – DPE). One of the core missions of a DPE is to promote students’ rights and prevent violence.

DPEs help schools build a culture of care and inclusion, ensuring that vulnerable pupils, particularly those facing discrimination or bullying, receive appropriate support. They also advise and train school staff and guide them in reporting serious incidents to judicial authorities when needed.

Strategies implemented by schools in Luxembourg to prevent and address bullying

Bullying is a complex behaviour that stems from a combination of individual, social, and environmental factors. For this reason, it is essential to adopt a preventive and educational approach that promotes emotional awareness, conflict resolution skills, respect for differences, and empathy.

A preventive and educational framework

To this end, the primary school curriculum integrates the development of relational attitudes and media education within its transversal competencies. Media education is particularly relevant in the context of cyberbullying, assisting pupils in navigating the digital world responsibly. The overarching goal is for students to learn to coexist harmoniously by practising mutual respect.

As part of its commitment to bullying prevention, the MENJE continuously develops innovative campaigns, programmes, and initiatives, including:

Stop Mobbing

Established in 2013, this intervention unit addresses urgent and complex cases of bullying in schools. Operating in both primary (enseignement fondamental) and secondary (enseignement secondaire) education, the Stop Mobbing team responds to schools’ requests by deploying trained mediators who provide focused on-site support. Their work raises awareness, proposes constructive solutions, and helps restore a positive and respectful school climate. The initiative supports pupils, entire classes, teachers, parents, and the school’s multidisciplinary teams.

BEE SECURE

This government initiative plays a pivotal role in promoting online safety, with a strong focus on preventing cyberbullying. To date, BEE SECURE has conducted over 1,000 training sessions across schools and extracurricular contexts. These sessions engage not only young people but also their wider support networks—parents, teachers, and educators – empowering them with the knowledge and skills to recognise, prevent, and respond effectively to cyberbullying.

The S-Team: Setz dech an! (Get Involved!)

This government-led project aims to prevent violence in primary and secondary schools, as well as in after-school care facilities. It empowers children and young people to take an active role in fostering a respectful, inclusive, and supportive environment.

Participants form project groups that, with guidance from adult facilitators, design and implement peer-led awareness activities focusing on non-violence, empathy, and civic courage.

Legal framework and disciplinary measures

In secondary education, the amended law of 25 June 2004 includes disciplinary and educational measures to address bullying and sexual harassment. Depending on the offence's severity, age, maturity, and repetition, a disciplinary council may impose appropriate sanctions on the perpetrator. These can include:

• Formal warnings
• Pedagogical tasks
• Temporary exclusion from the lesson
• Detention outside regular class hours, under supervision, with the obligation to complete an assignment set by the teacher or supervisor.

The law allows for permanent expulsion from secondary school in cases of serious misconduct. This applies to offences such as bullying involving severe insults, threats, physical assault, or acts of violence against members of the school community and incitement to racial hatred, xenophobia, or religious intolerance.