Why did the National Youth Policy Institute say school violence increased?

The institute linked the rise to classroom conflicts turning into violence and to greater sensitivity to school violence among students and parents. It also said heavy use of technical devices has reduced personal relationships and empathy among teenagers.

How will the education ministry respond to the school violence survey results?

The ministry said it plans to use the survey results to draw up school violence prevention measures. The survey was conducted online by the education ministry and 16 regional education offices from April 14 to May 13.

Record 2.9% of students report experiencing school violence

Q: What did South Korea's school violence survey find in 2026?

The survey found that 2.9 percent of students in elementary through high school said they experienced school violence between the second semester last year and April-May this year. It was the highest rate since the survey started in 2013.

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Summary

Nearly 3 in 100 students in elementary through high school reported experiencing school violence, a government survey showed Wednesday, the highest rate since the study began in 2013. The education ministry and 16 regional education offices surveyed all 3.9 million fourth- to 12th-grade students from April 14 to May 13. Elementary school students reported the highest rate at 5.7 percent, and verbal harassment was the most common form. The ministry said it will use the results to draw up prevention measures.

Key Facts

A total of 3.19 million students, or 81.9 percent of the target group, took part in the online survey.
The reported school violence rate rose by 0.4 percentage point from the equivalent study last year.
Middle school students reported a 2.3 percent rate and high school students reported a 0.8 percent rate.
Verbal harassment accounted for 37.8 percent of the reported cases, followed by bullying at 17.1 percent and physical violence at 15.7 percent.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 9, 2026 4:38 pm KST

Nearly 3 in 100 students in elementary through high school reported experiencing school violence, a government survey showed Wednesday, the highest rate since the study began in 2013.

The education ministry and 16 regional education offices conducted this year's survey online for all 3.9 million students in the fourth to 12th grade from April 14 until May 13. Some 3.19 million students, or 81.9 percent of the total, participated.

A total of 2.9 percent said they experienced school violence between the second semester last year and April-May this year, up 0.4 percentage point from the equivalent study last year.

Elementary school students reported the highest rate at 5.7 percent, followed by middle school students at 2.3 percent and high school students at 0.8 percent, with all groups showing increases from last year.

Verbal harassment accounted for the largest share of the reported school violence at 37.8 percent, followed by bullying at 17.1 percent and physical violence at 15.7 percent.

The National Youth Policy Institute, which was responsible for conducting the study, attributed the increased rates to a combination of classroom conflicts evolving into violence and heightened sensitivity to school violence among students and parents.

The institute also pointed out that heavy use of technical devices has led teenagers to have fewer personal relationships and less empathy.

The ministry said it plans to use the survey results to draw up school violence prevention measures.

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