On 14 October 2024, Portugal’s PSP police launched a nationwide operation in schools, titled ‘Bullying is for Wimps,’ alongside a social media campaign to raise awareness of bullying and encourage pupils to reject it, as reported by Agência Lusa.

In a statement, the PSP noted that in the 2023/24 school year, of the more than 2,900 criminal incidents recorded by its Escola Segura (Safe School) teams in schools, 134 were related to bullying and 30 to cyberbullying.

This year’s operation runs until 25 October, covering schools from the primary years (ages 6-10) to the third cycle (ages 13-15), as well as secondary schools (ages 15-18).

Besides awareness activities aimed at pupils, parents and guardians, teachers, and teaching assistants, the PSP’s social media campaign shares content on identifying bullying and supporting victims.

Although Sunday marked World Anti-Bullying Day, the PSP emphasises that the fight against bullying cannot be “limited to a single day” or targeted only at specific groups, as responsibility lies with the entire community.