Revised guidelines established for investigating serious cases of bullying, The Ministry of Education on Wednesday presented a draft revision of its investigation guidelines for cases of serious bullying in which children are suspected of serious physical or mental harm.
The ministry plans to solicit public comment on the draft and finalize the revisions in August, before notifying schools of the revised guidelines.
Schools and educational boards investigate serious cases of bullying on the basis of the Act on the Promotion of Measures to Prevent Bullying.
The ministry established the current research guidelines in 2017. It decided to review this after the number of serious cases of bullying reached a record high of 923 in the 2022 financial year.
The draft notes that third parties will in principle join investigative teams, and states that it is desirable to actively consider the participation of experts or external persons when investigating matters requiring confirmation of detailed facts.
External individuals should include those recommended by bar associations, medical organizations or other professional associations, and should not include lawyers or consultants working for schools where serious cases of bullying have been reported, the report said.
The draft emphasized the need to ensure neutrality, especially when bullied children have committed suicide, when there are discrepancies in the stories of those involved and when there is mistrust between schools and other parties.
The revised guidelines will provide that bullies, victims and their guardians will be given explanations before investigations begin, and will emphasize the need to immediately report to police and seek help if bullying could cause bodily harm or property damage.
