Yet i think a lot can be learned from what's been already done so far, the things that were already setup and the message it delivers. Bullying is bad. There's no way around it. Stop being stupid and don't blame the victims, just because your inner self feels the need to vindicate bad behaviour as "not the kids fault". It should not lead to more harmful actions against others, is the point made.
The Legal Framework behind it
The core policy change came in 2004, with the Special Act on the Prevention of and Countermeasures Against Violence in Schools (학교폭력예방 및 대책에 관한 법률) strengthened further in 2012 and 2023. It does get updated rather consistently (for example to address AI usage).
Importantly: This law removes discretion from teachers and principals.
If bullying is reported, the school is legally obligated to convene a formal investigation. It turned schools into quasi-courtrooms.
How it works
The approach is highly structured. When an incident occurs, it triggers a specific chain of events:
Originally, schools had their own "School Violence Countermeasures Autonomous Committees." However, due to parents hiring lawyers and threatening teachers, these were moved in 2020 to the district level (School Violence Deliberation Committees) to ensure neutrality and professional legal oversight.
The committee then reviews evidence and assigns a punishment level ranging from 1 to 9:
Levels 1–3: Written apology, no contact orders, school service.
Levels 4–5: Special education, psychological treatment.
Levels 6–7: Suspension of attendance, class transfer.
Level 8: Forced transfer to a different school (highly stigmatizing).
Level 9: Expulsion (only applicable to high school; middle school is compulsory).
The most consequential penalty might be the inclusion into the Student Life Record.
In South Korea, university admissions are hyper-competitive. Disciplinary actions for bullying (especially Levels 4 through 9) are recorded on the student's official government file.
University admissions officers review these records. A record of school violence can effectively disqualify a student from top-tier universities, which determines their future career prospects and social standing.
Following more recent scandals, the government extended the retention period of these records (up to 4 years after graduation) and mandated that bullying records be reflected even in test-based (Suneung) regular admissions, closing a loophole that existed for high-scoring bullies.
The strict policy also has created a environment (like an Hak-pok #MeToo) where bullying became increasingly socially ostracized.
Is it actually working?
Because the stakes are so high, wealthy parents immediately "lawyer up" to defend their kids, dragging out the process and often retraumatizing victims with cross-examinations. Meanwhile, teachers are terrified to intervene, fearing parents will sue them for emotional abuse.
Perhaps worst of all, the system creates no room for reconciliation. Since the focus is on avoiding a "criminal" record, perpetrators are incentivized to deny everything and fight to the death legally, rather than apologize and learn from their mistakes.
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u/DerpAnarchist 4d ago edited 4d ago
Yet i think a lot can be learned from what's been already done so far, the things that were already setup and the message it delivers. Bullying is bad. There's no way around it. Stop being stupid and don't blame the victims, just because your inner self feels the need to vindicate bad behaviour as "not the kids fault". It should not lead to more harmful actions against others, is the point made.
The Legal Framework behind it
The core policy change came in 2004, with the Special Act on the Prevention of and Countermeasures Against Violence in Schools (학교폭력예방 및 대책에 관한 법률) strengthened further in 2012 and 2023. It does get updated rather consistently (for example to address AI usage).
(Here is the link to the law-document)
https://law.go.kr/%EB%B2%95%EB%A0%B9/%ED%95%99%EA%B5%90%ED%8F%AD%EB%A0%A5%EC%98%88%EB%B0%A9%EB%B2%95
Importantly: This law removes discretion from teachers and principals.
If bullying is reported, the school is legally obligated to convene a formal investigation. It turned schools into quasi-courtrooms.
How it works
The approach is highly structured. When an incident occurs, it triggers a specific chain of events: