In April, a 14-year-old girl in Changsha was assaulted by her schoolmates, and the ringleader put videos of the attack online. — Photos: BiliBili/Sichuan Observer/ST/ANNThe China authorities have vowed to crack down on school bullying after a recent string of high-profile cases, including the murder of a 13-year-old boy in March, sparked a huge public outcry.
The issue of school bullying came to the fore in China earlier in March when a boy’s remains were found in an abandoned vegetable garden in Handan city in northern Hebei province. He was killed and buried by his schoolmates. Netizens said the culprits got away lightly, since the students would have been given the death sentence if they were tried as adults, as murder is a capital offence in China.
State media reported that the spate of bullying cases highlighted the vulnerability of the country’s “left-behind children”, given that a significant number of the students involved did not come from “complete” or two-parent families. China’s highest court also emphasised in a release on April 16 the importance of addressing the issue of “left-behind children” and those lacking in parental supervision.Data from the Supreme People’s Court showed that 22.
There is also a lack of attention paid to children’s mental health and psychological development as well as children’s exposure to violent content online, said Prof Mu, whose research includes migration and families in both Singapore and China.