Human Rights Standards
Related to School Bullying
1
DR GEOFFREY SHANNON
SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON CHILD PROTECTION
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
2
 Achieving a human rights framework
Bias based bullying
 Child centred
 Hope
 Dignity
 Us v’s them
 Kinship

Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
3
 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Article 24 – the right of children to equality
 International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
4
 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child
 3 optional protocols
 17 General Comments
 Articles 2, 3, 6 and 12 guiding principles of the
Convention
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
5
 European Convention on Human Rights
Article 3
 Article 8

 European Convention on the Exercise of Children’s
Rights
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
6
 The EU Treaties
 The Charter of Fundamental Rights
Article 24
 Article 52(3)

 Non-discrimination
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
7
 Article 2(2), CRC

States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that
the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or
punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed
opinions, or beliefs of the child’s parents, legal guardians, or
family members.
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
8
 Article 3, CRC
 General Comment No. 12
 General Comment No. 14
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
9
 Article 16, CRC

No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference
with his or her privacy, family, or correspondence, nor to
unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation.

The child has the right to the protection of the law against such
interference or attacks.
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
10
 Article 19, CRC

Such protective measures should, as appropriate, include
effective procedures for the establishment of social programmes
to provide necessary support of the child and for those who have
the care of the child, as well as for other forms of prevention and
for identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment
and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment described
heretofore, and, as appropriate, for judicial involvement.
 General Comment No. 4
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
11
 The right to education
Article 26(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
 Article 2 of the First Protocol to the ECHR

• No one shall be denied the right to education

Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
12
 Child’s right to education
Principle 7 of the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child
 Article 28, CRC
 Article 29, CRC
Education of the child and the development of respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms
 Vienna Declaration
 UN Millennium Declaration

Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
13
 General Comment No. 1
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
14
 Bullying – definitional problem
 Cyber-bullying
 Homophobic and transphobic bullying
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
15
 Mental health
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
16
 Liability of schools
 Anti-bullying policy
 Code of behaviour
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
17
 Prevention - whole school approach
- active involvement of key stakeholders
 Change attitudes
 Teaching children about their human rights
 Anonymity
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
18
 Strategies to support LGBT young people to remain
in schools
 Law and technology
Human Rights Standards Related to School Bullying
19
 19 States in United States – anti-bullying legislation
 New South Wales
 Massachusetts
 Sanction – a solution?
20
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING