Beijing schools launch new steps against bullying

More measures against school bullying have been rolled out in different districts in Beijing to put a stop to the illegal practice.

Dongcheng district in Beijing has asked schools to report bullying incidence to education authorities within 10 minutes of its occurrence and submit written report within two hours, reported Beijing Youth Daily.

The move came after the city's education commission pledged to step up efforts against bullying in primary and middle schools earlier this year.

Haidian district told schools to include anti-bullying efforts in their work plans and educate students of the harm and prevention of bullying and the legal responsibilities involved.

Fengtai district specified the responsibility of schools in preventing bullying and made detailed requirements on how education officials, principals and teachers should be evaluated on their anti-bullying efforts.

Bullying has long been a ghost that has haunted many students in primary and secondary schools. According to a report published by China Emergency Management Society in 2017, one in fourth of polled primary and secondary school students has been bullied in school.

Bullying often occurs at hidden places, Song Yanhui, an associate professor at China Youth University of Political Studies, told China National Radio. "Places such as toilet are where many cases of bullying take place, because it is out of the reach of video surveillance."

Bullying at such places has made headlines many times in recent years.

In 2017, five students in a school in Beijing's Yanqing district were put in administrative detention for forcing a schoolmate to touch excrement in toilet.

In December 2016, a Beijing mother's article describing her 10-year-old son's being bullied at school went viral. The fourth-grade boy had a toilet paper basket thrown on his head and was being mocked by classmates. After that, he was diagnosed with an acute stress disorder.