Rome (Italy) - Italy has banned the use of cell phones in schools across the country, making it reportedly the first European nation to implement such a statewide ban.

In the US, many schools prohibit cell phones because administrators say they're too distracting. However, in Italy, the ban is more linked to violence. Education officials blamed cell phones for videos that were posted online of students getting beat up.

According to a Reuters report, children could face punishments ranging from confiscation of their phone to suspension.