International Day against Violence and Bullying at School, Including Cyberbullying | 5 November 2026
No child should have to choose between learning and feeling safe. Yet bullying can make classrooms, school corridors and digital spaces places of fear rather than belonging.
Today, 5 November, the world marks the International Day against Violence and Bullying at School, Including Cyberbullying. Led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the observance reminds us that every child has the right to learn in safety and dignity.
The 2026 theme, “Every learner safe and well: From promise to practice,” is an invitation to act. Promises to protect learners matter, but they must be reflected in how adults listen, how schools respond and how children treat one another every day.
Bullying does not stop at the school gate
Violence at school takes many forms. It can include physical harm, repeated teasing, threats and deliberate exclusion. Online, hurtful messages, humiliating posts or the sharing of private information can follow a child long after the school day ends.
The consequences go beyond a difficult moment. Fear and isolation can affect children’s confidence, well-being, participation and ability to learn. Cyberbullying can be particularly difficult to escape when harmful content travels across devices and social platforms.
Life skills are part of prevention
At Aflatoun International, we believe education must help children develop the skills to navigate everyday life, build healthy relationships and understand their rights and responsibilities.
Our Violence Prevention learning resource offers age-appropriate activities that develop life skills, address bullying and involve families. Our Social Emotional Learning resource helps children recognise their emotions and strengthen the skills they need to manage challenges. These tools complement our wider social and financial education approach.
Digital safety matters too. Aflatoun’s Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Classroom and Beyond teacher guide includes activities on respectful online behaviour, privacy and cybersecurity. Its practical lessons remind us that learning to use technology also means learning to use it responsibly.
From awareness to action
A safer learning environment is a shared responsibility.
Children should know whom they can trust and how to ask for help. Teachers need support to recognise warning signs and respond without blaming the child who reports harm. Families can create space for honest conversations about what happens at school and online.
Schools and education authorities also need clear, child-friendly reporting processes, consistent follow-up and a culture in which every learner feels included. Digital platforms have a role in making harmful behaviour easier to report and address.
This International Day, let us move from saying that every child deserves safety to making that promise visible in daily practice. A kind word, a trusted adult, a clear response to a report or a lesson in empathy can make an important difference.
Because children learn best when they feel safe, respected and heard — in the classroom and online.
Explore Aflatoun’s educational resources to learn more about our approach to life skills, child protection and social and financial education.