Already Reached 85% of Last Year's Total in August
Age Group Getting Younger... Last Year, Elementary Students Accounted for 11%
From January to August this year, more than 13,000 youths were apprehended by the police for school violence.
According to data received on the 16th from the National Police Agency by the office of Jeong Chunsang, a member of the National Assembly’s Administration and Security Committee from the Innovation Party for Justice, 13,157 youths aged 14 to 18 were apprehended for school violence from January to August.
The number of youths apprehended for school violence has steadily increased every year. It rose from 11,331 in 2020 to 11,968 in 2021, then to 14,436 in 2022, and reached 15,437 last year. This year’s number of school violence apprehensions is expected to surpass last year’s, setting a new record high.
By type of crime, assault and injury (6,218 cases) accounted for the largest share at 47.3%. Sexual violence made up 25.1% (3,303 cases), other offenses (such as threats, insults/defamation, coercion, etc.) 19.9% (2,614 cases), and extortion of money or goods 7.76% (1,022 cases) followed.
However, nearly half of these cases, 47.2% (6,213 cases), were closed after investigation without formal charges. 35.3% (4,640 cases) were referred to the prosecution, and 57 youths were handed over to the prosecution while in custody. 17.5% (2,304 cases) were sent to the juvenile court.
Youths aged 14 and older are not considered ‘criminal minors.’ However, nearly half of those apprehended appear to have committed relatively minor school violence offenses and received disciplinary actions from their schools instead of formal charges.
Representative Jeong said, “The number of youths apprehended for school violence has already reached 85% of last year’s total as of August this year,” adding, “We will continue to propose policies and legislation to eradicate everyday threats such as school violence.”
Meanwhile, alongside the increase in the number of apprehended offenders, the age of perpetrators is also getting younger. According to the National Police Agency, elementary school students accounted for 1,703 of those apprehended for school violence crimes last year, making up 11.0% of the total?the first time this figure has reached double digits since related statistics began.
The proportion of elementary school offenders was 5% (572 cases) in 2020, rising to 7.2% (858 cases) in 2021, and 9.7% (1,399 cases) in 2022. Among all school-age groups, middle school students accounted for the largest number of apprehensions at 5,005 cases (32.4%).
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