Summary.
The bill proposes creating the Program for the Prevention, Detection, and Early Remediation of School Bullying and Youth Violence. It provides for ongoing training, awareness, detection, guidance, and support in family, educational, business, community, and digital settings. It seeks to provide tools to young people, adults, teachers, officials, and school employees, as well as to parents and guardians in their workplaces. Its provisions would apply to public entities, public and private educational institutions, local governments, companies participating through corporate social responsibility, and civil society organizations collaborating with the program (Arts. 1-2).
The text defines bullying as repeated or systematic conduct that intimidates, harasses, threatens, humiliates, excludes, persecutes, coerces, or affects a person's dignity or integrity. It defines violence as an act or omission capable of causing harm or affecting a person's integrity, dignity, or development through physical, psychological, verbal, sexual, economic, or digital means, among others (Art. 3).
The program would cover guidance for families, prevention and early detection in educational institutions, peaceful coexistence, mental health, emotional well-being, and safe and respectful use of digital spaces. It provides for continuous, periodic training in empathy, self-confidence, coexistence, and early intervention, lasting at least 5 months. At the beginning of each school year, educational institutions would provide the school community with information on current protocols, procedures, and regulations. Statistical data would also be collected and protected to design and evaluate public policies, with confidentiality and personal data processing in accordance with applicable law (Art. 4).
The Ministry of Social Development would coordinate implementation with the competent public entities, local governments, the private sector, and civil society. Public entities would coordinate preventive measures and information sharing; companies could train their employees and support campaigns; civil society organizations could conduct community activities and volunteer work; and local governments would provide spaces and prevention programs. An interinstitutional technical committee, chaired by the Ministry of Social Development, would be created to coordinate and advise. Its members would serve without compensation, with no new administrative structures or additional state expenditure (Arts. 5-7).
The Ministry of Social Development would promote analysis and information sharing for statistical, planning, and research purposes, while protecting the rights of children and adolescents in accordance with the Political Constitution. It would submit an annual report on the program's implementation and results. The program would be preventive, educational, and in the public interest, and would complement Law 289 of 2022 without replacing, amending, or interfering with the protocols, procedures, or responsibilities of the Ministry of Education of Panama (Ministerio de Educación de Panamá). The Executive Branch would issue implementing regulations within 180 days of promulgation; the proposed law would take effect upon promulgation (Arts. 8-11).
Given its content, the bill concerns the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Education of Panama, other public entities, and local governments. It could also be of interest to or affect educational institutions, families, students, companies, and civil society organizations.
What it proposes.
- Prevention, detection, and early remediation of school bullying and youth violence.
- Training, guidance, and coordination among public entities, educational institutions, and other participants.
- Statistical information and evaluation of public policies on school life.
Who it would affect.
- Public entities and local governments.
- Public and private educational institutions.
- Private-sector legal entities participating in the program.
- Civil society organizations collaborating in its implementation.
Key points.
- Creates a prevention, detection, and early remediation program with measures in family, educational, business, community, and digital settings.Art. 1
- Extends its application to public entities, educational institutions, local governments, participating companies, and collaborating civil society organizations.Art. 2
- Defines bullying and violence for purposes of the program.Art. 3
- Includes training lasting at least 5 months, annual provision of information on protocols, and protected processing of statistical data.Art. 4
- Assigns coordination to the Ministry of Social Development and sets out ways for public entities, companies, civil society organizations, and local governments to participate.Arts. 5-6
- Creates an advisory interinstitutional technical committee, chaired by the Ministry of Social Development, whose members serve without compensation.Art. 7
- Designates the information collected for statistical, planning, and research purposes and requires an annual report on the program.Art. 8
- Establishes that the program complements Law 289 of 2022, provides for implementing regulations within 180 days of promulgation, and makes the law effective upon promulgation.Arts. 9-11