School-based violence still persists in Morocco. Primary and secondary school students face daily acts of verbal or physical violence, as well as different forms of harassment, says a new study by the Higher Council for Education, Training and Scientific Research (CSEFRS). ) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The results of this study, consulted by MoroccoLatestNews and which will soon be presented by the CSEFRS, revealed that mockery, insults and insults were common daily practices in Moroccan schools, mainly affecting secondary school students, boys being the most targeted category.
In the field study, three primary school students testified that they had been insulted by being called demeaning nicknames, while among secondary school students, 55.9%, boys in particular, confirmed having been mocked and insulted to varying degrees.
It is important to note that this violence is not limited to verbal abuse only, but also encompasses physical abuse. In Morocco, 25.2% of primary school students surveyed said they had been victims of physical violence, such as beatings, while 28.5% said they had been pushed.
Additionally, the percentage of secondary school students who reported being hit stands at 25.3%, of which 37.4% were pushed with the intention of harming them. It should be recalled, again, that boys are more likely to be victims of physical violence compared to girls, according to the findings of the study.
Furthermore, the document mentions the fact that students face acts of violence linked to taking possession, such as minor thefts with threats and the confiscation of their personal property, highlighting the prevalence of these forms of violence. In the case of primary school pupils, 27.1% of them are exposed to such acts, while this percentage reaches 38.6% among secondary school pupils.
The study reveals that theft under threat and the destruction of personal property affect both boys and girls in general. In addition, students in private schools in urban areas are less exposed to threat robbery compared to those in public schools in urban areas.
Indeed, this act is more frequent in public educational establishments than in private schools. In addition, students in private schools in urban areas are more likely to report cases of bullying compared to their peers in public schools and schools in rural areas.
As for digital violence, the same source clarified that it could intensify due to the growing increase in the use of digital communication technologies. In primary schools, 8.3% of students said they had been exposed to the dissemination of unwanted content on social networks, while in secondary education, 8.6% of students said they had discovered personal photos and videos posted on the Internet or in text messages.
Along the same lines, the data affirmed that bullying is widespread in Moroccan schools. These results revealed that 15.2% of primary school students and 29.7% of secondary school students said they had been victims of bullying in their school. Among them, 34% of primary school students and 25.4% of secondary school students confirmed that the harassment was sexual in nature.