Seoul Jungbu Police Station Launches 'One Team, One Day, One Safe' Project to Prevent School Violence

Scheduled School Broadcasts for 24 Days to Prevent School Violence

On the 2nd, when normal attendance was resumed at all schools nationwide, students are attending school at Gwangjang Elementary School in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. 2022.05.02 Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] The Jungbu Police Station in Seoul announced on the 4th that it has been implementing the customized school violence prevention project "One Team, One Day, One Safe" since the 2nd.

This project signifies that students, teachers, and police officers form one team to save at least one victim of school violence each day. The School Police Officers (SPO) of the Women and Youth Division at Jungbu Police Station will visit a total of 24 elementary, middle, and high schools in the jurisdiction over 24 days to conduct daily school violence prevention broadcasts according to monthly themes. Additionally, after the broadcasts, a "Visiting Counseling Center" will be set up to enhance the prevention effect of school violence through counseling between students and SPOs. Monthly themes include verbal abuse, gambling and drugs, sexual violence, and cyber school violence.

This project was launched to prevent the potential increase in school violence with the resumption of in-person classes. Last year, the number of school violence reports reached 6,823, a 22.8% increase compared to the previous year. According to last year's school violence survey, the victimization rate was 1.1%, with types of victimization per 1,000 students being verbal abuse (7.4 cases, 41.6%), group bullying (2.6 cases, 15.5%), physical violence (2.2 cases, 12.3%), and cyber violence (1.7 cases, 9.9%), in that order. In particular, recently, juvenile crime methods have become more diverse and sophisticated, and gambling issues have also emerged.

Against this backdrop, Jungbu Police Station conducted a preliminary survey targeting middle and high school students in the jurisdiction to prepare educational policies. The survey results showed that 85.9% responded positively to SPO visits to schools, and 75.5% expressed willingness to request counseling if they experienced or witnessed school violence.

Kang Soon-bo, chief of Jungbu Police Station, said, "With the full return to normal in-person classes after more than two years of the COVID-19 situation, school violence prevention education suitable for youths facing a new environment is necessary," adding, "We plan to focus on preventing and eradicating school violence through continuous communication and education involving police, teachers, and students, rather than one-time efforts."

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