Bullying in schools should be treated with prevention and a lot of dialogue and never think that a minor with high self-esteem will be assaulted by other children, according to the College of Psychologists.
Read more: Costa Rica, second worst in Latin America in bullying, according to OECD
The professionals added that the position of Anna Katharina Müller, Minister of Education, not only denotes ignorance on the subject, but also puts the victims at greater risk.
She stated in a legislative commission that “a boy, a girl, a young person with good self-esteem will not be affected by bullying”.
“What the minister manifests is a position based on myths that distort the action in terms of prevention and approach and increases the risk of the victims. Such a statement based on ignorance means a setback in the efforts and progress achieved in terms of action and prevention in the country,” said the College of Psychology Professionals of Costa Rica.
Psychologists insist that “the perception of low self-esteem is not a cause, it is a consequence of the damage created. The victim is not guilty, much less responsible”.
Likewise, through a press release, they warned that in the country more than 60% of the students report having suffered “bullying” in the study centers.
For its part, the Ministry of Education reported 1,292 cases of violence, of which 576 were between students, in 2022. So far this year, 101 situations of violence have been attended, and 24 of them were due to bullying.
Read more: Learn how to detect when a child is suffering bullying at school
“We have been leading changes for years in favor of affirmative actions to prevent, and properly address violence among students, where ‘bullying’ continues to be sustained by myths that destroy the victims, validate victimizers and accomplices and distort the work of intervention,” emphasized the College of Psychologists.