3 in 10 teenagers exposed to school violence: report

Three out of 10 teenagers have been exposed to school violence, while 1 in 10 has experienced smoking, drinking or gambling, a report showed Thursday.

According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, 32 percent of children aged 9 to 17 suffered from school violence. 

The younger the students were, the more they experienced bullying. About 39 percent of those between 9 and 11 were exposed to bullying, which is 9 percent higher than those between 12 and 17, the report said.

The survey was part of the study on children’s school life based on a survey conducted in 2013.

“Children’s school violence experiences affect their mental health, family relationships and even their adult life,” the institute said. “It is necessary to enhance programs against school violence at schools for younger children as the survey shows that a higher proportion of younger students are victims of bullying.”

Boys were more prone to violence with 33.4 percent, versus 30.9 percent of girls.

The study also showed that the students’ backgrounds played a factor in their exposure to violence.

Those living in urban cities were more exposed to bullying with 35.4 percent while others in suburban areas reached 25.1 percent.

Slightly over 31 percent of the victims came from two-parent households, while about 39 percent were raised by a single parent or grandparents.

Meanwhile, the report also noted that about 11 percent of the surveyed students were engaged in so-called defiant acts, some of them illegal.

Of about 7 percent of the respondents who said they had tried alcohol, more were residing in smaller cities (9.5 percent) or suburban areas (5.0 percent), compared to those living in metropolitan cities (3.4 percent).

The report also said students living in smaller cities (5.0 percent) or suburbs (5.6 percent) were more likely to have smoked than those in larger cities (2.6 percent).

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)