'One in two students approve of physical punishment against bullies'

One student out of two in Italy would be in favour of introducing corporal punishment against bullies also in Italian schools, on the model of Singapore, where in the most serious cases up to three beatings are provided for male students responsible for aggression. This is what emerged from a survey conducted by Skuola.net on its social channels, which involved over 1,000 students.

According to the survey, 50 per cent of the participants believe that 'such a punishment would be needed in Italia too', invoking the 'hard fist', while the other 50 per cent oppose it, arguing that 'violence cannot be cured with violence' and that it would be a 'return to the Middle Ages'. The debate stems from the new anti-bullying guidelines discussed in Singapore after a series of episodes that have shaken public opinion.

Education Minister Desmond Lee explained that corporal punishment is a last resort, applicable only when there is no other educational solution. The measure involves up to three strokes of the cane, authorised by the headmaster and carried out by qualified personnel, accompanied by subsequent psychological support for the punished student. According to Skuola.net, the survey, while referring to a hypothesis incompatible with the Italia school system, highlights a strong distrust towards the disciplinary tools used in schools today, such as notes and suspensions, often perceived as ineffective.

Also weighing in is the prevalence of bullying. According to the latest ISTAT data, published in 2025 and referring to 2023, 68.5% of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 19 have experienced at least one offensive, aggressive or exclusionary episode, online or offline, in the previous twelve months. 21% stated that they had been bullied several times a month, while for about 8% the incidents were at least weekly.