Bullying at school: how to protect your child and where to turn for help
A calm course of action: safety, documenting the facts, writing to the school and monitoring the safety plan.
Checked: 27 September 2026.
If a child tells you they are being bullied
First, listen calmly to the child and make sure they have a place where they are safe right now. Do not insist on a perfect timeline straight away, and do not promise to keep it a secret if help from the school or the relevant services is needed to protect them.
If there is an injury, a threat of violence, a child has gone missing or there is any other immediate risk, please call 112 for emergency assistance and follow the instructions given by the professionals. For situations where there is no immediate threat, start by speaking to the school via the relevant member of staff.
The term ‘bullying’ describes repeated behaviour and an imbalance of power, but parents are not required to first establish a legal definition in order to report a concerning incident. Physical, verbal, social and online behaviour may require the school’s attention.
How to record the facts without causing the child any harm
Draw up a brief timeline: date, location, those involved, specific actions, witnesses, consequences and who has already been informed. Distinguish between what the child has said, what you have seen and any assumptions. Keep the originals of messages and screenshots with the date, but do not forward them to parents’ chat groups or publish the names of minors.
In the event of physical injury, a sudden deterioration in your child’s health or severe stress, please consult the appropriate medical professional. Do not attempt to diagnose the situation based on this article, and do not make the child recount what happened repeatedly to different adults. Ask the specialist for the documents required by the school and keep them in a secure place.
Ask your child where the risk of it happening again is highest: on the way to school, during break time, in the toilet, in an online chat room, on the bus or at an after-school club. This will help you suggest temporary protective measures to the school whilst it investigates the circumstances. Do not ask your child to gather evidence at the cost of having to come into contact with the bully; their safety and ability to learn are the priority.
First written contact with the school
Send a brief message to the form tutor or the school administration via an official channel: state the facts, explain the need for immediate action, and ask them to acknowledge receipt of your message and appoint a person to take responsibility. Do not use derogatory remarks about another child. Ask for confirmation of receipt, specify the next step and how to get in touch; keep a copy of the letter and the reply.
At the meeting, discuss not only the punishment but also a specific plan: where adults will monitor the situation, how they will prevent a repeat incident, who the child should approach, and when the family will receive feedback. The school is obliged to protect the personal data of all minors, so it may not disclose disciplinary details concerning another pupil to you.
If the incident took place online, clarify the link to the school environment and what measures the school can take within the scope of its remit. The platform, parents and law enforcement agencies may each have distinct roles. Do not ask your child to continue the conversation for the sake of evidence; first, save what you already have and use the blocking and report abuse functions.
When the school fails to respond or the risk recurs
If you have not received a reply by the agreed deadline, or if the measures taken are not working, send a further written letter to the school management, including a timeline and copies of previous correspondence. Ask them to review the protection plan and explain which body will deal with the complaint next.
In the event of an ongoing threat, serious violence or circumstances beyond the school’s control, please contact the relevant authorities without waiting for the internal process to be completed. Describe the facts without drawing your own conclusions about who is at fault.
Changing classes or schools is sometimes discussed, but it should not be the only automatic response to a complaint. Before changing a child’s programme and environment, find out what protective measures are currently available and how the transition will be organised. If immediate safety requires the child to be absent temporarily, agree with the relevant school on the arrangements for their education and documentation.
Supporting a child at home
Help your child understand that telling an adult was the right thing to do. Ask them what situations make them feel anxious, and together choose one or two approachable adults at school. Check regularly that your child understands the plan and is following it, but don’t turn every evening into an interrogation. It may take time to restore a sense of safety.
Keep an eye on their sleep, eating habits, willingness to go to school and social interactions, but do not draw medical conclusions based on any single sign. If there are significant changes, consult a qualified professional. Do not blame your child for not ‘fighting back’: such advice may increase the risk and mask the need for adult intervention.
If your child may have caused harm to another child, you should also establish the facts calmly, without excusing the behaviour or labelling the child. Work with the school to develop a plan to stop the behaviour, support the victim and bring about a change in behaviour. Publicly discussing other people’s children and imposing punishment without an investigation rarely leads to a lasting solution.
Confidentiality and monitoring of the plan
Only share messages, meeting notes and medical information with adults who need them to protect the child. Do not publish videos, photographs or correspondence involving minors in order to exert ‘public pressure’. Sharing such material may harm the victim and complicate the investigation of the case.
At the meeting, make a note of the measures agreed upon and the date of the next review. After the agreed period, ask the child about any actual changes and request written feedback from the school. The measure of success is the cessation of dangerous behaviour and the ability to learn without fear, rather than merely a formal note confirming that the matter has been resolved.
If the situation involves the school, transport and the internet, draw up a single timeline and identify the person responsible for each location. No one involved should regard the problem as entirely ‘someone else’s’ as long as the child continues to face a risk. At the same time, do not conflate the responsibilities of the school, the platform and the police into a single promise of a result.
What to check in the current rules
The Cypriot Ministry of Education publishes information on school violence and the relevant procedures; specific forms, contact details and rules may be subject to change. The sources for this article were verified on 27 September 2026. Before taking any action, please check your school’s current information channels and the Ministry’s website, particularly if your child attends a private school.
This material does not determine guilt and is not a substitute for medical, psychological or legal advice. It helps you organise an initial safe response, preserve the facts and obtain a verifiable plan from the school. In an individual emergency situation, act according to the circumstances and contact the relevant authorities without waiting for new guidance to be published.
If, following the conversation, the child reports a new threat, revisit the immediate safety assessment rather than simply waiting for the next meeting. Update the written timeline, inform the school of the new incident and ask them to review the measures in place. Adults must respond to any change in risk, even when the previous incident has already been recorded.
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