Investigation Deferred for School Violence Perpetrators Confirmed with COVID-19... Remote Investigation During Quarantine

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] In situations where infectious diseases such as COVID-19 are prevalent, quarantine guidelines must be followed when investigating school violence and taking measures against perpetrators. If a student involved in school violence as a perpetrator or victim tests positive, the investigation is postponed; however, if the student is quarantined but not confirmed positive, the investigation is conducted remotely.

According to the Ministry of Education's 'School Violence Case Handling Guidebook' on the 7th, if a student involved in school violence as a victim or perpetrator is confirmed positive for COVID-19 and is hospitalized or quarantined, the investigation following the school violence report is postponed. The postponement period lasts from the time the health authorities notify hospitalization treatment until the quarantine is lifted, and to verify this, the student must submit a hospitalization treatment notice.

If a confirmed case occurs at the school causing a complete suspension of attendance, the investigation is also temporarily halted during the suspension period. If a student involved in school violence is not confirmed positive but shows suspicious symptoms or is quarantined due to contact with a confirmed case, the investigation is not postponed and is conducted through non-face-to-face methods such as video calls, phone calls, or emails.

Measures against perpetrators of school violence, such as community service, must also consider the COVID-19 situation. If the perpetrator is confirmed positive or self-quarantined, measures such as community service, special education, or transfer are implemented after treatment is completed or quarantine is lifted. If the perpetrator cannot perform social service or special education at an external institution, the school may modify the program internally. However, in this case, it must be clearly distinguishable from on-campus service.

When operating the review committee that investigates school violence, quarantine rules must be observed. During in-person meetings, masks must always be worn, social distancing maintained between attendees, partitions installed, and windows frequently opened for ventilation. If in-person meetings are not possible, the review committee may be changed to a video conference with the approval of the education superintendent. If a committee member required to attend is confirmed positive or self-quarantined, a substitute subcommittee must be arranged.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.