16/08/2026
Denmark proves prioritizing emotional literacy dramatically improves student outcomes and overall well-being.
According to a landmark study by the international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) research project, Danish schools boast some of the lowest bullying rates across Europe and Canada.
Surveying 279,000 students aged 11, 13, and 15 across 44 countries, the report reveals that Denmark is among the top three nations with the lowest incidence of bullying among 13-year-olds.
Only seven percent of Danish girls and six percent of boys in this age group report being bullied multiple times a month—a stark contrast to Lithuania, where one-third of 13-year-olds experience frequent bullying.
Denmark also ranks exceptionally low in perpetrators, with only two percent of 11-year-old girls and three percent of boys admitting to bullying others, compared to much higher rates in nations like Moldova.
Experts attribute Denmark’s two-decade decline in school bullying to robust prevention programs, which uniquely include mandatory empathy classes for all students. Katrine Rich Madsen, senior researcher and project leader of the Danish School Children’s Survey, emphasizes that while the downward trend is encouraging, any level of bullying is still too high.
The success of Denmark's approach highlights how prioritizing emotional literacy can fundamentally transform school culture, offering a powerful, proven blueprint for other nations striving to protect their youth.
source: University of Southern Denmark. Denmark is among the countries in Europe where the fewest children experience bullying in school.
