1 in 3 school violence victims unable to get help: survey

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sun, October 1, 2023 | 20:42

Society

1 in 3 school violence victims unable to get help: survey

Posted : 2023-03-03 17:22

Updated : 2023-03-05 17:42

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By Lee Hae-rin

One out of three children who suffered school violence and reported it in hope of receiving assistance could not get any help, a recent report shows.

According to the Korea Educational Development Institute's 2022 report on school violence released on Friday, among students who have experienced school violence, 90.8 percent reported the incidents to school authorities, parents or counseling agencies.

In cases of verbal abuse, only 41.1 percent of 39,396 students who reported their situation said the problems were resolved. Another 35.3 percent said they received no assistance in resolving their cases.

The situation was not much different from other types of school violence. In cases of bullies taking money, 33 percent of victims said their problems were not solved after reporting the incidents to school authorities or adults; the rate was 32.8 percent in cases of sexual assault; 32.6 percent for stalking; 31.6 percent for cyberbullying; 29.4 percent for bullying; and 28.9 percent for physical assault.

The rating of help that victims received after reporting school violence was, on a scale of one to five, 3.57 among elementary school students, 3.59 among middle school students and only 3.35 among high school students.

Female respondents' rating on the help they received was 3.46, lower than that of male victims at 3.63.

While the authorities here are seeking to eradicate school violence, calls are growing among activists and victims' families for the government to establish effective guidelines to protect teenage victims of school violence who come forward asking for help.

"Few parents and guardians of school violence victims actually know how to help children who show signs of being victimized, and many end up worsening the problem by adding burden to their already difficult situations," said Cho Jeong-sil, the head of the association of families of school violence victims.

"There must be a specific manual for teachers and parents to help them handle school violence appropriately."

The institute drafted the report based on the survey conducted by 16 out of 17 metropolitan and provincial education offices across the country last year on students from fourth grade in elementary school to the final year of high school. The provincial education office of North Jeolla Province did not participate in the survey.

lhr@koreatimes.co.kr