( CNN ) -- The guilty pleas of students in a Massachusetts school harassment case this week thrust the spotlight back on bullying in the United States , but the issue is also drawing more attention beyond America 's borders . France 's education minister made national headlines this week when he announced plans to combat bullying by shutting down Facebook accounts of students who harass their classmates . Mexican legislators approved a new anti-bullying measure this year . And debates on the topic surged in Brazil last month , after a gunman who killed 12 students at a school in Rio de Janeiro said in a homemade video that bullying was one of his motives . Five classmates of a Massachusetts high school freshman who hanged herself in the stairwell of her family 's apartment pleaded guilty to charges of criminal harassment , prosecutors said this week . One district attorney described the systematic bullying of Phoebe Prince , 15 , who took her own life in January 2010 after weeks of ridicule and teasing at school . More guilty pleas in Massachusetts bullying case . Across the United States , 19.9 % of students in grades 9-12 say they were victims of bullying on school property over a one-year period , according to a 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey of a representative sample of United States youth . But bullying is also a global issue , according to the United Nations Children 's Fund . About a third of students surveyed in countries from Argentina to Zimbabwe said they had been bullied recently , UNICEF said in a 2006 report , citing two global studies on the issue . `` The most common forms of bullying are verbal and , if left unchecked , verbal bullying can lead to extreme violence , '' the report on violence against children said . Son 's suicide prompts bullying lawsuit . The study also notes that cell phones and the Internet provide `` new opportunities for bullying . '' France focused on the issue in a two-day conference this week , culminating with Education Minister Luc Chatel 's announcement of the government 's new partnership with Facebook . `` The solution is simple . We will single out systematically the students that have been bullying on this network , and they will see their accounts closed , '' he said . `` For the more serious cases , we will ensure that the families of student victims have a systems to file complaints , and this will be a partnership with the central office fighting cyber-crimes . '' In a statement , Facebook described bullying prevention as an `` important issue , '' pledging to help promote online safety . `` We will also work with our partners to respond effectively in cases where French users have been prosecuted for offences related to online bullying , '' the statement said . Government officials in Mexico have taken a different approach : changing education laws to require federal , state and city authorities to implement policies to identify , prevent , control and stop bullying . `` It is a phenomenon that , if not addressed in time , becomes a problem of health , security and education , '' Mexican lawmaker Jaime Arturo Vazquez Aguilar said . In addition to physical and psychological harm , Vazquez said another long-term effect of bullying is the `` most regrettable . '' `` Our girls , boys and youth are getting mixed up , in some cases , in criminal activity , '' he said . At this week 's conference , Chatel called on officials , educators and members of the public to take action . `` We must avoid , at all costs , that one day a student prefers to die rather to be in a school where he is harassed , without our schools doing anything about it , '' he said . CNN 's Brian Vitagliano and Chris Boyette and journalist Imelda Garcia Velazquez from CNNMexico.com contributed to this report .
France 's education minister pledges to shut down bullies ' Facebook accounts . A debate over bullying surges in Brazil after a school shooting . Comment: UNICEF says the Internet and cell phones facilitate bullying worldwide .