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Local education office reverses bullying case decision, placing victim back with alleged aggressors in class

Published: 17 Jun. 2025, 15:02

An illustration on school violence victim [JOONGANG ILBO]

A first-grade student at an elementary school in Gyeonggi was initially separated from classmates who allegedly bullied her, only to be placed back in the same classroom with them after a decision by the local education office’s school violence committee.

The female student was subjected to repeated bullying by two male classmates starting in April, according to the Gyeonggi Office of Education on Tuesday.

After the girl’s parents reported the incidents, the school responded by initiating a class change for the two male students last month through its internal task force, composed of teacher and parent representatives.

It is highly unusual for a school to implement a class reassignment before a formal hearing by the local education office's school violence countermeasures committee.

The school justified the early action, saying the case was serious and that the victim’s parents explicitly requested strict separation.

However, during the committee’s meeting on June 4, the local education office decided not to uphold the school’s class change decision. Instead, it ordered the perpetrators to issue written apologies, banned them from contacting or retaliating against the victim and the reporting parties, and mandated five hours of community service at school.

Under the School Violence Prevention and Countermeasures Act, the committee has the authority to impose sanctions ranging from a written apology to expulsion. A class change falls under the seventh level of the nine-tier scale but was omitted in this case.

A child being bullied by a group of children. bullying scene [SHUTTERSTOCK]

As a result, the two boys and the girl were placed back in the same classroom starting June 4.

“We fully understand the feelings of the victim and her parents, but the committee’s decision focused on the educational perspective and long-term development of the perpetrators, not punitive measures,” a representative from the education office told local news outlet Yonhap News.

The girl’s parents expressed outrage at the reversal.

“My daughter is still suffering, and now they’re telling us she has to go back to the same classroom," said the girl's mother. "I’m furious and at a loss for words."

The school also expressed confusion and concern. It now has to ensure compliance with the committee’s orders — such as keeping the students from being seated in the same group or placing distance between their desks.

“We responded proactively as a school, but the committee came to a different conclusion, and we have to abide by it,” a school official said. “We’ll do our utmost to ensure the victim doesn’t suffer further harm.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]