Country · South America
Colombia: cyberbullying law for schools
Bottom line for counselors: Schools must have anti-bullying rules, and those rules cover online bullying. Takedown help is limited, so report harmful posts to the platform first. Some online abuse can be a crime under general laws.
Last verified: checked against official sources on 11 November 2026.
Country
Colombia
New 16 July 2026: Colombia: Decree 0769 requires schools to set response routes for cyberbullying
A national school coexistence system since 2013 covers cyberbullying, and 2026 laws require schools to set routes for digital violence.
Compare with anywhere elseProtection score
One point for each of the seven questions answered yes, half a point for partly. Where a rule is set nationally, the national answer counts. A quick guide, not a legal rating.
- Yes:
Do schools have to have anti-bullying rules?
Yes. Law 1620 of 2013 created the National School Coexistence System. Every school must have a school coexistence committee and a coexistence manual with a response route.
Legal detail and sources
Decree 1965 of 2013 sorts cases into Type I, II and III situations, each with its own procedure.
- Yes:
Do those rules cover online bullying?
Yes. Law 1620 defines school cyberbullying, and since 2026 coexistence manuals must include routes and protocols for cyberbullying and other digital violence.
Legal detail and sources
Ley 2564 de 2026 (8 January 2026) defines forms of digital violence including cyberbullying, grooming and sextortion. Decreto 0769 de 2026 (16 July 2026), which implements Ley 2489 de 2025, requires schools to update their manuals. Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Noticias Caracol) as well as official sources.
- Partly:
Is there a regulator that can get harmful posts taken down?
Partly. The ICT Ministry implements the safe digital environments law, but the 2026 decree created no new sanctions for platforms.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Asuntos Legales (Dentons)) as well as official sources.
- No:
Is there a minimum age for social media?
No legal minimum age for social media; the 2025 law and 2026 decree chose shared responsibility over a ban.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Asuntos Legales (Dentons)), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Partly:
What are the rules on phones at school?
No national ban. Schools set phone rules in their coexistence manuals, and cities such as Bogotá are restricting phones in public schools.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Portafolio), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
- Partly:
When is online abuse a crime?
Partly. There is no bullying offence, but injuria, calumnia and threats are crimes. Teenagers aged 14 to 17 are handled by the juvenile criminal responsibility system.
- Yes:
What guidance do staff and counselors get?
Yes. Each school's coexistence committee activates the response routes, and the system calls for training of teachers and school leaders.
Legal detail and sources
Source note: this answer draws on news reporting (Noticias Caracol), not an official legal text. Check the official text before relying on it.
Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with credit, under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 licence.