Six in ten students in Serbia have experienced at least one form of violence at school while over half of teachers (53%) believe schools can play a decisive role in reducing violence through their internal mechanisms, signaling strong support within the education system for more structured interventions.
An important milestone has been achieved in the efforts of Serbia to create safer and more inclusive schools with the publication of results from the National Research on Bullying, Peer Violence, and Students’ Well-being. The research provides the most comprehensive evidence base to date on the realities of peer violence and the factors influencing students’ safety and well-being in Serbian schools.
Conducted between 25 November and 6 December 2024, the survey engaged more than 5,000 students, parents, and school staff from 77 elementary and secondary schools across Serbia. It used six tailored research instruments developed through a participatory process involving over 90 policymakers, professionals, and institutions. The study reflects a wide range of perspectives and experiences and address various topics such as school climate, digital violence, parenting styles, gender-based violence, and students’ psychological well-being.
The results also show that verbal abuse remains the most common form, while more than a quarter of students who experienced violence (27%) did not report it to parents or school staff pointing to persistent gaps in trust and communication.
The findings offer valuable insights into the causes, dynamics, and consequences of violence in schools, as well as the factors that support or undermine students’ well-being and safety. Based on the mentioned findings, evidence-based policy recommendations have been developed and will be adopted by education policy makers in November 2025.
The Comprehensive Report of the National Research and the Summary of Key Findings are now publicly available.
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The project “Prevent bullying and peer violence in schools“ is implemented by the Council of Europe and funded by Germany. It is carried out in co-operation with the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia from January 2024 to December 2025.