Forced to lick fence and beaten with a blunt weapon... Outrage over school violence 청 petition in Jecheon, Chungbuk
"Lost 6 teeth due to school violence"... Perpetrator student given '20-day suspension'
Experts say "Many schools hush up school violence, which is problematic"
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "The school is trying to cover up the school violence incident."
A controversy has erupted over allegations that a student at a middle school in Jecheon, Chungbuk, has been subjected to school violence (hakpok) by classmates for a year. It is reported that the perpetrators forced the victim to eat deicing agents and lick the school fence, among other cruel acts. However, there are claims that the school not only failed to protect the victim but also tried to cover up the incident, sparking public outrage. Experts suggest that schools need to establish their own response systems to eradicate school violence.
On the 30th of last month, a petition titled "My child is trying to commit suicide" was posted on the Blue House's public petition board. As of 3 p.m. on the 4th, the petition had received over 17,530 signatures.
The petitioner, who identified themselves as the victim's parent, stated, "Starting from the second semester of the second grade, the violence and bullying against my child began in earnest and lasted for nearly a year," adding, "The perpetrators threatened, saying that if the abuse or violence was revealed to anyone, they would not leave my older and younger children alone."
According to the petition, last winter the perpetrators forced the victim to eat a mixture of deicing agents and snow, poured hand sanitizer on the victim's palm and set it on fire with a lighter, made the victim lick the school fence with their tongue, and repeatedly beat the victim with blunt objects. As a result, the victim was diagnosed with a muscle rupture requiring five weeks of treatment.
Furthermore, the perpetrators forced the victim to eat jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) mixed with salt, pebbles, and twigs, and when the victim refused, they were assaulted.
The petitioner expressed frustration at the school's response, saying, "(My child) asked for help several times, even begged to be saved, but no one at school helped," and "The school is telling us, the victims, to bring proper evidence. The school and the homeroom teacher, who are supposed to remain neutral, seem to be trying to downplay and cover up the incident."
This is not the first time a petition has been filed to expose a school violence incident. In March, a petition titled "Please punish the perpetrators and the education office's response to school violence" was posted.
The petitioner, who introduced themselves as the victim's parent, said, "On January 12th, while moving to the English classroom, the perpetrator teased and cursed my son, so my son asked for an apology," adding, "During this process, the perpetrator punched my son's eyes and face, causing him to faint and collapse, and then further assaulted him by stepping on his face." The victim suffered serious injuries, including damage to eight teeth and the extraction of six teeth.
However, the school only issued a 20-day suspension to the perpetrator. The petitioner lamented, "After the 20-day suspension, the perpetrator did not transfer as planned," and "I am angry at the perpetrator's attitude, acting confidently without a sincere apology."
The school's inadequate response to school violence has been a problem for a long time. As a result, many students who suffer from school violence do not report it to the school at all.
According to the Ministry of Education's "2020 School Violence Survey," conducted from September 14 to October 23 last year among approximately 3.58 million students from 4th grade elementary to 2nd grade high school nationwide, 82.4% of students who experienced school violence reported it to someone, while 17.6% did not.
Among those who did not report, 18.6% said, "I thought it would be useless to tell anyone," and 14.8% said, "I was afraid of being bullied more."
Also, among students who reported the incident, more confided in family members than the school. 45.3% of respondents told "parents, guardians, or relatives" about the school violence, followed by 23% who told "school teachers," and 9.3% who told "friends or seniors/juniors."
In summary, students who suffer from school violence tend to avoid reporting to the school because they believe nothing will change. Even when they do report, many hesitate out of fear of retaliation due to the school's lukewarm response.
Unlike general violence, school violence occurs over a long period. Since students spend extended time together in the same classroom, they often endure it alone rather than report it. Moreover, the trauma from school violence often persists into adulthood, leading to calls for schools to proactively address school violence.
One netizen said, "School violence crimes should not be forgiven just because the perpetrators are young. How much pain must young students have endured every time they were subjected to violence? If the school had actively responded, such crimes would not have occurred," criticizing, "Do they think that publicizing school violence will damage the school's image?"
Another netizen also pointed out, "The school's neglect of school violence actually encourages it," adding, "If the school condones violence, they are just as much perpetrators."
Experts suggest that schools need to establish their own systems to prevent school violence.
Professor Kwak Geumju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology said, "There are many cases where schools try to hush up school violence. To prevent such situations, schools need to establish systems that can appropriately respond to school violence," adding, "Recently, there have been more cases of reporting school violence through petitions. When a petition gains attention, it becomes publicized and victims can receive compensation for their grievances."
She continued, "Also, when a petition causes a significant social impact, related measures are often introduced. Some petitions are posted with this in mind."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
