Bullying and physical violence in primary and secondary schools are increasing and the incidents are becoming more serious, school inspectors have found.

In the 2023-2024 school year, the education inspectorate registered 2,317 cases of psychological, physical and sexual violence. That is up 165 compared to the year before and 574 more than in 2021-2022.

The number of reports is higher than ever before and the seriousness of the bullying is also worrying inspectors. “We see that children are being singled out and subjected to years of bullying. That is a particularly worrying aspect. The impact on them will only be the greater,” chief inspector Rogier Oet told broadcaster NOS.

Physical violence and the threat of violence are also on the rise, Oet said. “In over 600 cases, violence played a part. We’re talking about threatening behaviour using knives and actual violence, sometimes with life-changing consequences,” he said.

Schools struggle with bullying because most of it remains invisible, Oet said. “It sometimes happens in the classroom but very often outside the school. And online bullying is a persistent problem. It goes on 24/7,” he said.

The rise in overall reports does not necessarily mean schools are getting more violent, Oet said. “We are happy people know where to find us so we can help. Bullying is more talked about and that is important. The consequences of bullying are huge. It can destroy lives.”