When enrolling a foreign student in the educational system of Costa Rica, parents should take into consideration that bullying and aggression between classmates seems to be on the rise in our country. To this end, officials from the Ministry of Public Education (Spanish initials: MEP) advise parents shopping for schools that they should inquire about how the institution handles and prevents bullying incidents.

Speaking to journalist Eugenio Guerrero from online news daily CRHoy.com, MEP official Rocio Solis explains that protocols are being implemented in the private and public schools of Costa Rica to encourage educators and students with regard to reporting cases of bullying. Last year, the number of formal complaints was 189, which triples the 59 complaints filed in 2012. Of the 186 complaints handled in 2014, 94 involved physical aggression, 92 involved both physical and verbal aggression, 29 corresponded solely to verbal instigation, and 4 were incidents of cyber-bullying.

The greater incidence of bullying was reported in the Central Valley, followed by Heredia, Cartago, and Alajuela. Isolated cases were reported by institutions in coastal regions; however, it is important to note that private institutions rarely report cases to MEP.

In Costa Rica, response to bullying cases involves intervention by psychologists who meet with victims, perpetrators and witnesses. Currently, there is a strong focus on encouraging witnesses to come forward with reports and their observations. There are very few reports of bullying at the primary school level; most complaints come from secondary schools.

Parents should ask school administrators about their policies on handling bullying at their institutions, particularly if they are enrolling their children in private institutions. To this effect, standing policies should present handling similar to that of the MEP: Psychological interventions that involve all parties; including: victims, aggressors, witnesses and educators. Parents should not be afraid to contact school staff if they detect major negative changes in the behavior of their children, particularly when they return from school.