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When the School Fails: Reflections on the Case of Kira and Educational Responsibility

 

Good afternoon! While researching bullying cases in Spain, I came across the case of Kira López, a 15-year-old girl who died by suicide in 2021 in Barcelona. Since today her parents have fought to raise awareness and highlight the inaction of educational institutions in bullying cases. One of the initiatives they supported was the documentary Acoso Escolar by ARTE.tv from 2024, which also features Brian Giner a young man who suffered school bullying for 12 years and later wrote a book titled Golpeado pero no derrotado in order to help prevent more cases. In the documentary, he gives a talk to raise awareness among students at Sant Armengol School in Andorra.

The report addresses key topics such as the role of bystanders and the importance of their involvement in stopping bullying. It also discusses the so-called “red zones”, areas where violence is more likely to occur, such as locker rooms and bathrooms. This has sparked debate over whether installing video surveillance in schools might be advisable.

Regarding Kira’s case, she was a student at the Padre Manyanet Sant Andreu school. Their parents started legal actions filing a lawsuit against the school for allegedly failing to take action in response to the abuse their daughter suffered. However, the school denies these allegations (Rovira, 2024).

In Brian’s case, he also highlights a recurring lack of intervention by his school. No protocol was activated, and in some instances, teachers even encouraged him to "hit back" at his aggressors.

All this information highlights the urgent need for effective measures to protect students, starting with mechanisms that make teachers accountable and require their active involvement in bullying cases like those presented.


I will put here the link if you want to see the video: https://youtu.be/fVEAQQGVJBs?si=QyCqpWa7Cl5eF7Ez


Alba Vilaseca 

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