School Violence Doubles in Five Years... Cyberbullying and Sexual Violence Cases Up by Over 1,000

School Violence Cases Double in Five Years
Cyberbullying and Sexual Violence See Sharp Rise
More Cases Escalate to Lawsuits as Trust in System Declines

The number of school violence cases reported in elementary, middle, and high schools over the past five years has more than doubled. During the same period, the number of cases referred to the School Violence Countermeasures Deliberation Committee (School Violence Committee) surged more than threefold.

According to data titled "Status of School Violence in Elementary, Middle, and High Schools Over the Past Five Years" received by Assemblywoman Jin Sunmi, a member of the National Assembly's Education Committee, from the Ministry of Education on September 7, the number of reported school violence cases increased from 25,903 in the 2020 academic year to 58,502 in the 2024 academic year, a 2.2-fold increase.

On the morning of the 24th, foundation officials are holding signs in front of the Pureun Tree Foundation in Seocho-gu, Seoul, asking for attention to school violence. 2024.7.24. Photo by Yonhap News

The increase was not limited to the number of reported cases. During the same period, the number of cases deemed serious enough to be referred to the School Violence Committee rose from 8,357 to 27,835, representing more than a threefold surge.

By type, not only direct physical or verbal violence between students but also "psychological and relational violence" such as cyberbullying and sexual violence increased rapidly. In particular, cyberbullying cases jumped by more than 1,000 in just one year, from 3,422 in the 2023 academic year to 4,534 in the 2024 academic year. Sexual violence cases also rose by nearly 1,000, from 3,685 to 4,588 during the same period.

The number of school violence cases escalating to administrative lawsuits also increased. Lawsuits filed by perpetrators grew from 202 cases in the 2021 academic year to 444 in the 2024 academic year, while lawsuits filed by victims increased from 53 to 96 over the same period. This trend reflects a growing reliance on administrative and judicial decisions, as students and parents lack sufficient trust in the system during the post-incident response process.

Assemblywoman Jin Sunmi stated, "The annual increase in school violence cases is a warning sign that the issue is structurally deepening. In particular, the rapid rise in concealed forms of violence, such as cyberbullying and sexual violence, tends to cause long-term harm to victims. Therefore, institutional measures must be strengthened to ensure swift resolution of these cases."

She added, "Addressing school violence requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond simply reducing the number of reported cases. This should include preventive education, support for victim recovery, and correctional programs for perpetrators. The Ministry of Education must establish systematic measures to ensure genuine recovery for victims and the restoration of the school community."