South Korea faces reckoning over widespread bullying

This is truly sad, I hope this will bring about some positive changes.


https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2023/05/30/2003800674

Let me guess. There’s no bullying in Taiwan?

Korea's defamation laws also protect the perpetrators.

Korea's defamation laws also protect the perpetrators.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I read the article. I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the idea of suspending statutes of limitations to allow for prosecution of crimes that happened decades ago. It's basically impossible to have a fair trial at that point, and I don't think it's going to prevent bullying from happening in the future because kids rarely think that far ahead. Telling a 14-year-old boy that if he bullies people, he might get fired from his job when he's in his 20s or 30s isn't going to work. As for a solution, I'll admit that I don't really know. Maybe it's a problem that we can't eradicate completely as a species.

1. Of course there should be procedures to protect the vulnerable; a public claim of violence, even from an 8 year old, should be taken seriously even if not criminally "assault".

2. Parents should be more involved in any  event.

3.  Teachers should not let a single incident slide. Students push, flick their finger at, trip and outright hit on the head students ... without consequence. Treat any negative physical contact as assault. "Cut it out." Yellow card it at least.

4. Grade school is full of pile-on moments. Teachers and other adults ought to nip such in the bud asap. Bullying is a problem of parenting, teaching and the public.

5. My dad had an easy solution: if someone hit you, hit them back twice as hard. Got it. But, what if it's a girl. He said: sit on her. I did and her bestie pummeled me (grade 5 flashbacks).

6. Do we live now in an age where sticks and stones break our bones but words don't hurt us? ... Some people hear strangers (people they have never met) criticize them and then commit suicide?... maybe the recent invention of the Internet has changed things.

7. There's not a single person on waygook i wouldn't buy a drink for with a smile (even though a few would get choice words), as i believe wholeheartedly against cancel culture. We are here together. Some kill each other. But over multiple continents, we have only thousands of days. Together. Generations before us brought us here and we are setting up future generations. But you and I are on starship now.

8. Meet a bully's mother, and the bullying will likely end (if not in a formal, conflict situation).

There was a bullying situation in the school I work at this past year. 5 girls were bullying the class star pupil. As soon as the complaint was made by the student all 5 girls were brought in with their parents. Discussions were had and all 5 were expelled for 2 weeks with the addendum that even 1 more complaint about any of them, all 5 would be expelled for the remainder of the year, thus failing the year and having to repeat.

Some parents were embarrassed about their child's actions and a couple were angry and threatened to take their child out and put them in a new school. They were invited to do exactly that, immediately, with a letter explaining to the potential new school precisely why the change was necessary.

They very quickly calmed down. They know the facts, which are: students actually fail and repeat grades in our school, students have been permanently expelled, other parents are delighted when that happens because every grade is full with a wait list. Every class we have is taught to A Level and our school is regarded as the best. We have parents who come to the school and put a full cash deposit down for Kindergarten as soon as they know the wife is pregnant. Being expelled is a massive loss of face. But, one person's loss is another's gain.

Bullying needs to be dealt with hardcore. It has led to the worst possible scenarios - suicide. It can not ever be accepted in any way.

Certain posters here are way too predictable.
You know, when you see a thread title and you don't even need to look at who wrote it.

Let me guess. There’s no bullying in Taiwan?

Why would you assume that? This post is about Korea, not Taiwan. Whataboutism!!

Some parents were embarrassed about their child's actions and a couple were angry and threatened to take their child out and put them in a new school. They were invited to do exactly that, immediately, with a letter explaining to the potential new school precisely why the change was necessary.

The thing is, this will probably only work with elite schools that parents don't want to remove their children from. In most cases, as far as I've seen, parents defend their kids to no end here, punishments are usually light. Then you've got the world's tightest "defamation" laws ever which prevent facts coming to light without backlash. It's like the perfect storm.

The thing is, this will probably only work with elite schools that parents don't want to remove their children from. In most cases, as far as I've seen, parents defend their kids to no end here, punishments are usually light. Then you've got the world's tightest "defamation" laws ever which prevent facts coming to light without backlash. It's like the perfect storm.

Sadly, you are right.

There is talk of doubling our tuition rates to around the $10,000-$12,000+ a year mark and getting rid of all students who don't put in the maximum effort to position us as a super elite school (I guess you'd call it that). We don't have a lot of room to expand and too many students are on a waiting list, coupled with too many students not putting in the maximum effort.

I don't know what the solution is. I do know that my school puts up with the requisite amount of crap one must put up with when the children of the upper class  and elite attend, but no more than that. There is a clear line that will not be crossed and bullying is certainly on that line.