School administrators are required to notify law enforcement and child services about cases of bullying.
Failure to report such incidents can lead to administrative penalties, as stated by educational ombudsman Nadia Leschik.
She explained that school and kindergarten directors must address both oral and written reports of violence or abuse against children. The law sets a short deadline of one day after receiving a complaint.
If a director notices signs of bullying, they must immediately inform the child's parents or guardians, as well as submit a written report to the police and child services.
Nadia Leschik emphasized that such reporting is a crucial prerequisite for holding offenders and their parents (in cases involving students) accountable. Following such a report, police may open an investigation, and the court will ultimately decide whether the child was indeed subjected to bullying.
"Not every report (by the school leader – ed.) may concern bullying; it could also be a single act of violence, but in any case, it cannot be ignored – it is also abuse, and the police will determine whether there are grounds for opening a criminal case or drafting an administrative violation report.
It is the police, not the educational institution's head, that has the authority to determine how to classify child abuse when receiving such reports," explained the educational ombudsman.
According to her, directors or committees reviewing bullying cases in schools do not have the right to conclude whether a child has actually been bullied, but they can identify signs of mistreatment to include in their reports to the police and make decisions on further actions within the educational institution.
If a school director fails to report to the police, they could face administrative penalties under part 5 of Article 173-4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. In such cases, the director may be subjected to fines (ranging from 425 to 850 UAH) or corrective labor for up to one month with a deduction of up to 20% of their salary.
Judicial practice shows that courts often impose fines on offenders.
Reports to the educational ombudsman's office indicate that some administrators do not notify law enforcement due to concerns about the institution's reputation or fear that the incident will attract attention.
Additionally, directors mistakenly believe that they should consult a special commission about the bullying report before contacting the police.
"However, ignoring such situations does not resolve the problem; it only exacerbates it and leads to negative consequences for all participants in the educational process, including the institution's leader," believes Nadia Leschik.
Earlier, the Ministry of Education and Science created a mechanism for quickly reporting bullying in schools. Students or their parents can fill out a short questionnaire and submit complaints electronically.