Responsibilities of School Leaders Regarding Bullying Cases
School leaders are required to report bullying incidents to the police and child protective services.
Failure to disclose such events may lead to administrative penalties, as stated by educational ombudsman Nadia Leshchik.
She explained that school and kindergarten directors must respond to oral or written reports of violence or abuse against children. The law sets a short timeframe – one day after receiving a complaint.
If the director detects signs of bullying, they must promptly inform the child's parents or guardians and also file a written report to the police and child services.
Nadia Leshchik emphasized that such reporting is crucial for holding perpetrators and their parents (in the case of students) accountable. Following such a report, the police can open a case, and the court will later decide if the child experienced bullying.
“Not every report (from the institution's leader – ed.) may pertain specifically to bullying; sometimes it can be an isolated incident of violence, but it should not be ignored – this is also abuse, and it is the police who will determine whether there are grounds for initiating a criminal case or for drafting an administrative offense protocol.
The authority to qualify child abuse at the time of receiving such reports lies with the police, not the educational institution's leader,” Nadia Leshchik clarified.
According to her, directors or committees reviewing bullying cases in schools do not have the right to conclude whether a child has truly experienced bullying, but they can identify signs of mistreatment to include in their report to the police, as well as decide on further actions within the educational institution.
If the school director fails to contact the police, they may be held administratively liable under part 5 of Article 173-4 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses. In this case, the director faces penalties ranging from fines (from 425 to 850 UAH) or corrective labor for up to one month with a deduction of up to 20% of their salary.
Judicial practice indicates that courts typically impose fines on offenders.
Reports to the educational ombudsman show that some leaders do not inform law enforcement due to fears of damaging the institution's reputation or concerns that the situation will attract public attention.
Moreover, directors mistakenly believe that they should only consult the police after the bullying report has been reviewed by a special committee.
“However, the silence surrounding such situations does not resolve the issue; it only exacerbates the problem and leads to negative consequences for all participants in the educational process, including the institution's leader,” Nadia Leshchik believes.
Previously, the Ministry of Education and Science established a rapid reporting mechanism for bullying in schools. A student or their parents can fill out a short questionnaire and submit a complaint electronically.
