2 Out of 10 Seoul Students Say "School Violence Is Serious"

A survey found that 2 out of every 10 elementary, middle, and high school students in Seoul perceive school violence or juvenile crime as serious issues.

On December 25, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced the results of a survey conducted between July and September among 67,097 elementary, middle, and high school students in Seoul. According to the survey, 17.9% of respondents said that school violence or juvenile crime is "serious." The percentage was highest among middle school students at 20%, followed by elementary school students at 17%, and high school students at 11%.

11.2% of all respondents said they had either directly experienced or witnessed school violence. The breakdown was 13% for middle school students, 12% for elementary school students, and 7% for high school students. In terms of types of victimization, verbal abuse was the most common at 30.3%, followed by group bullying (19.3%), physical violence (19.2%), and sexual violence (12.3%).

When asked which activities are most needed from School Police Officers (SPOs), 25% of students chose crime prevention education as the top priority. This was followed by parent education (14.2%) and student participation-based prevention education (14%). The results of this survey were shared with 31 police stations in Seoul.

The police compiled the survey results along with 2,809 reports of school violence and 6,370 cases submitted to the School Violence Countermeasure Deliberation Committee into a database. Subsequently, School Police Officers (SPOs) worked with schools to focus on preventive education tailored to risk factors such as verbal abuse, physical violence, and sexual violence. For example, Eunpyeong Police Station strengthened experiential education and campaigns at schools with a high risk of verbal abuse, while Mapo Police Station installed additional CCTV cameras in vulnerable areas where delinquency frequently occurs.

Park Jeongbo, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated, "I believe that in order to implement policies that truly benefit citizens, it is most important to communicate constantly with the public, listen to their voices, and empathize from their perspective." He added, "We will continue to carry out substantial prevention activities that students and teachers can truly feel."