My son was assaulted at school: What can I do?

Today marks the School Day of Non-Violence and Peace and, at a time when youth violence is on the rise, it is more important than ever to clarify what parents can do when their children are physically or psychologically assaulted by their peers in a school context. No — these are not just meaningless pranks. Often, they are crimes and deserve protection.

Contrary to what is commonly believed, criminal responsibility does not begin only at the age of majority — it starts much earlier. Between the ages of 12 and 16, the commission of acts classified by law as crimes gives rise to the application of an educational supervisory measure (which may include placement in an educational centre), and from the age of 16 onwards, such acts give rise to criminal responsibility, although specifically mitigated under the Criminal Regime Applicable to Young Offenders.

Therefore, whenever parents become aware that their children are victims of physical or psychological aggression by their peers, in addition to informing the school attended by the minors, they should also notify the competent police authorities.

For this purpose, it is essential to gather all evidence (photographs, videos, screenshots, medical reports, witnesses, …) and to file a complaint with the appropriate authorities.

In this way, beyond protecting the victims, the State will also seek to resocialise potential aggressors at an earlier stage and prevent the continuation of such behaviour.

As mentioned, youth crime and suicide among children and young people have been increasing and, even without knowing whether there is a direct correlation between these figures, it is in our hands to reverse this trend.