Daegu City Council Chairman Jang Sang-su Urges Eradication of Cyber School Violence... "Increase in Smart Devices May Lead to More Victims"

Proposal to Amend the Act on Prevention and Countermeasures Against School Violence

Need for Cyber Violence Experts to Participate in the School Violence Countermeasure Deliberation Committee

Jang Sang-su, Chairman of Daegu City Council.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Jang Sang-su, chairman of the Daegu City Council, proposed an amendment to the "Act on the Prevention and Countermeasures of School Violence" on the 10th to eradicate cyber school violence.

The proposal calls for separately defining cyber violence as a category of school violence in the Act on the Prevention and Countermeasures of School Violence, and explicitly including cyber school violence experts when forming the School Violence Countermeasure Deliberation Committee.

Chairman Jang Sang-su urged participation in creating a healthy educational environment free from cyber violence, along with the legal amendment proposal, at the 2nd extraordinary meeting of the 2022 Korea Association of City and Provincial Council Chairpersons.

While most school violence occurs in specific locations and involves physical violence or bullying, cyber school violence can occur 24 hours a day without restrictions of time and space, making it a more serious issue, he said.

He also expressed concern that the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the concurrent remote classes have increased students' use of smart devices, thereby raising the risk of exposure to cyber violence.

Chairman Jang pointed out that although the current law defines "cyber bullying," it is necessary to separately define "cyber violence" as a broader concept and include it within the scope of school violence.

He emphasized the need to clarify awareness of cyber violence and prevent confusion in schools to actively respond to cyber school violence.

To strengthen expertise on cyber violence, he argued that cyber violence experts should be included among the school violence experts participating in the School Violence Countermeasure Deliberation Committee, and that efficient prevention and response measures should be established.

The proposal will be discussed by the Chairpersons' Association and, if adopted as an official agenda, will be forwarded to the Ministry of Education, the relevant department.

Chairman Jang Sang-su said, "Our students should be able to live in a safe and healthy educational environment free from any school violence," adding, "It is more urgent than ever to show interest and provide support to eradicate school violence."

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