Ombudswoman: Schools avoid publicizing bullying cases involving students and teachers
This was stated by Education Ombudsman Nadiia Leshchyk in a comment to Ukrinform.
“Quite often, school administrators try to cover up and hide cases of bullying. This happens in cases of bullying among students, bullying directed at a teacher, and bullying where the perpetrator is a teacher. When it comes to cases where teaching staff are the perpetrators, they are usually dismissed at their own request or by mutual agreement. Although I see that administrators are beginning to impose disciplinary measures such as reprimands on such employees. And in some cases—dismissal for immoral conduct. I support such a swift and effective response, because delaying action only makes the situation worse,” Leshchyk noted.
She noted that the number of complaints regarding bullying of children to the Office of the Education Ombudsman is increasing. In 2025, the Office of the Education Ombudsman received 165 complaints regarding abuse, including bullying and discrimination in educational institutions.
And in 2026, as of March 25, there were already 66 such reports.
“Parents and students reach out to us; I am very saddened that educators are committing acts of violence against children and that there are examples of unacceptable behavior. I can’t say there are a lot of them, but they do exist. We see these high-profile cases, though it’s hard to say right now whether this is linked to a general increase in the number of incidents or simply that people are no longer afraid to speak out about them. I can speculate that the causes might include unqualified teachers, the psychological state of teachers, and professional burnout. “Because the psychological state of teachers, students, and parents alike is also quite unstable,” the ombudswoman noted.
She emphasized that school administrators are obligated to respond to cases of bullying if they occur.
“An internal investigation must be conducted, and a commission on cases of violence and abuse, including bullying, must be convened to review all the facts. In addition to convening the commission, the school principal must also promptly report the incident to the police,” Leshchyk noted.
If the head of an educational institution fails to respond to a bullying incident or does not notify the police, an administrative report may be filed against them, the case may be referred to court, and the head will be fined, she added.
Also, according to Leshchyk, parents have the right and may file a complaint with the police regarding a teacher’s actions in the event of a child being bullied. The police must investigate the case and then refer it to court.
When asked whether teachers contact the Office of the Education Ombudsman regarding mobbing by school administrators or bullying by students, Leshchyk noted that such complaints do exist, but there are significantly fewer regarding bullying.
“The number of official complaints from teachers is significantly lower. There are only a handful of cases where teachers complain about the behavior of students or parents. Although many teachers voice such complaints on social media, they do not dare to follow through—to file complaints, contact the police, or go to court. This is particularly true, in particular, of complaints against the administration of educational institutions. And I... urge teachers, if such cases arise, not to remain silent, to respond appropriately, and to file reports with the police,” the education ombudsman emphasized.
At the same time, she added, some school administrators try to cover up cases of bullying involving both students and teachers.
“There is a certain amount of pressure on teachers not to file complaints or reports with the police, so that everything ends quietly and peacefully. In other words, they fear publicity and exposure, so they try to either pressure or even force the teacher to resign,” Leshchyk noted.
As the education ombudswoman explained, if a student engages in unacceptable behavior toward a teacher, such an action also constitutes bullying. According to her, the situation is much more complicated when parents harass a teacher or even resort to violence. Such actions do not fall under the definition of bullying.
“In such cases, the only possible response is a general one—filing a report with the police,” she emphasized.
Leshchyk added that for school administrators, responding to bullying is not just about the impact on the school’s reputation, but also involves additional steps—convening committees, drafting meeting minutes, communicating with the police, and so on.
“It is clear that educational institutions view this as unnecessary hassle and often try to resolve the situation by covering it up. But it must be understood that not all actions that occur in schools are actually bullying. Some of the complaints we receive are not bullying; they are simply conflicts between participants in the educational process. It is very important, even in the case of a single incident, to involve a psychologist so that they can work together with, for example, the homeroom teacher to take preventive measures and ensure the conflict does not escalate into further harassment or become systematic,” Leshchyk noted.
However, in the opinion of the education ombudsman, the proposal to license educators and, accordingly, revoke their licenses—which is periodically discussed, particularly on social media—is inappropriate.
“I do not support such a proposal at this time. We have a certification process for educators, although it primarily concerns professional qualities; however, among these professional qualities are adherence to pedagogical ethics, countering violence, and training on how to act in various situations, etc., meaning that certification should also address such issues,” she emphasized.
As reported by Ukrinform, employees of educational institutions are required to inform the police about children who are not enrolled in school. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the relevant amendments to the Procedure for Keeping Records of Preschool- and School-Age Children, Pupils, and Students in February 2026.
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