Ministry revises guidelines to better protect school violence victims

By Bahk Eun-ji

The Ministry of Education said Tuesday it has revised the guidelines on school violence to better protect victims by allowing their absence for mental health reasons and permitting them to change schools more easily if they wish.

The Ministry of Education has revised guidelines on school violence to better protect victims of bullying. / Gettyimagesbank

According to the new rules, a student who is a bullying victim and misses classes due to mental health reasons will not be penalized, and the school will not mark the student as being absent on school records.

Until last year, schools recorded an absence if students who were victims of bullying did not come to school before the school principal or the school's violence committee officially recognized them as victims and decided on protection measures.

While students committing sexual violence are transferred to other schools, victims will also be able to move schools more easily if they want to, according to the ministry.

Previously, sexual violence victims often could not choose to transfer to a new school if the principal refused. There have been cases where principals refused to accept victims citing different school curricula.

According to the new guidelines, when a student wants to transfer to a new school to escape bullying, the regional education office will order the new school's principal to accept the student. The principal must accept the student unless there are particular reasons not to. If the principal disapproves, the office will hold a committee to examine the reasons for refusal.