Investigation into School Violence at Boarding Facilities such as Seodang... Strengthening Special Education for Perpetrators

The 17th School Violence Countermeasures Committee Approves Implementation Plan for School Violence Prevention Measures
Inducing Inclusion of Seodang and Similar Facilities as Educational and Training Institutions, Conducting Violence Status Survey Within Facilities
Reinvestigating Recurrence of Offending Acts in April-May and Extending Special Education by Number of Offenses
Amendment to Include Use of Information and Communication Networks in Prohibition of Contact and Retaliation by Offending Students

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Following a habitual assault incident at a Seodang (traditional Korean private school) in Hadong, Gyeongnam, the government has decided to investigate the operation and violence status of dormitory-type educational facilities such as Seodang. While strengthening protection for victimized students, special education will be extended for students who repeatedly commit violence, and the ‘Principal Notification System,’ where the school principal directly reports cases to the court, will also be activated.

On the 15th, the Ministry of Education held the 17th School Violence Countermeasures Committee meeting at the Government Seoul Office and deliberated and approved the implementation plan for school violence prevention measures and the strengthening of cyber violence prevention and response.

Regarding the Seodang violence incident, an investigation into the operation status of nationwide dormitory-type educational facilities will be conducted, and based on the results, efforts will be made to incorporate them into educational and youth training facilities. A violence status survey will be carried out within the facilities to identify whether resident youths have experienced or witnessed violence, and measures will be taken for both victims and perpetrators, with reports planned to child protection agencies or the police.

Considering that experiences of school violence remain lifelong sources of pain, efforts to support victim recovery, healing, relationship restoration, reconciliation, and dispute mediation will be strengthened. The installation of specialized counselors in WeClass and dedicated support agencies for victim students will be expanded, and free legal counseling or advice, as well as support for medical and living expenses for victims, will be promoted.

Measures to prevent and respond to school violence perpetrators have also been prepared. Every year from April to May, the recurrence status of perpetrator behavior will be investigated, and the duration of special education will be extended according to the number of offenses. If there is concern about school violence serious enough to apply the Juvenile Act, the ‘Principal Notification System’ will be promoted, allowing the school principal to directly submit juvenile protection cases to the competent court without going through investigative agencies such as prosecutors or police to guide the perpetrator. The Juvenile Act will be amended to strengthen probation dispositions, and approximately 120 student-dedicated probation officers will be operated. The number of specialized school violence investigators will also be increased.

To respond to the annually increasing cyber violence, related laws and systems will be revised. To prevent secondary harm, a legal amendment will be pursued to include information and communication network usage behaviors in the prohibition of contact and retaliation by perpetrators.

Additionally, a standard training plan for teachers on cyber violence and detailed guidelines for investigation and response will be developed, and in-depth cyber violence training will be conducted for the School Violence Countermeasures Committee of the Education Support Offices. To ensure prompt relief when cyber violence is reported, dedicated counselors for cyber violence response will be assigned at the 117 School Violence Report Counseling Center. For victim information such as videos of school violence, system improvements will be pursued to support deletion at the level of illegal sexual filming materials.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye stated, "We will thoroughly implement and inspect school violence countermeasures to help students grow into healthy members of society and strive to create schools safe from school violence."