Gwangju Students Say "Drugs and Narcotics Are the Top Harmful Factors"

Main Cause Is 'Nearby Students and Seniors'
Countermeasure Should Be 'Stronger Crime Punishment'
Gwangju City Council, Student and Parent Survey

Survey results on 'Youth Harmful Factors' among students and parents announced by Gwangju City Council on the 5th (unit %). Provided by Gwangju City Council

Among the harmful factors affecting youth spreading in Gwangju, middle and high school students identified ‘harmful drugs and narcotics (27.6%)’ and ‘online cyber gambling (25.8%)’, while parents pointed to ‘online cyber gambling (27.8%)’ and ‘digital sex crimes such as deepfake (27.2%)’ respectively.

Additionally, when asked about the seriousness of harmful factors affecting youth, 88.0% of middle and high school students and 94.2% of parents responded that it is serious, indicating that both students and parents recognize it as a serious issue.

This is the result of a ‘Public Opinion Survey on Harmful Factors Affecting Youth’ conducted and announced by the Gwangju City Council’s Council Operations Committee (Chairperson Jeong Da-eun), which commissioned a professional polling agency to survey middle and high school students and parents residing in Gwangju.

According to the Gwangju City Council on the 5th, a public opinion survey was conducted recently to analyze the perceptions of students and parents regarding issues such as online gambling and deepfake sex crimes and to establish systematic response plans. The survey covered perceptions and evaluations regarding the seriousness of ‘harmful factors affecting youth,’ indirect experiences, causes of spread, and response measures.

The rate of students’ indirect experience with harmful factors affecting youth was highest for ‘unlicensed driving such as electric kickboards’ at 73.1%, followed by ‘harmful drugs and narcotics’ at 59.3%, and ‘online cyber gambling’ at 48.7%.

There was a noticeable difference in views between students and parents regarding the main causes of harmful factors affecting youth. Middle and high school students most frequently cited ‘surrounding students and seniors/juniors (32.2%)’, whereas parents considered ‘harmful internet sites (27.0%)’ as the main cause.

Regarding what should be done to prevent the spread of harmful factors in schools and society, 50.7% of middle and high school students answered ‘strengthening criminal penalties’, and 15.6% said ‘preventive education at school’. Among parents, 33.4% chose ‘strengthening criminal penalties’ and 26.8% selected ‘preventive education at school’.

Chairperson Jeong Da-eun of the Operations Committee stated, “We will share the results of this public opinion survey with the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education and review prevention and response plans within the scope prescribed by ordinances and laws. We plan to actively utilize the analysis of students’ and parents’ perception survey results to establish policies that everyone can support and empathize with in the future.”

Chairperson Jeong also urged, “The Metropolitan Office of Education needs to actively prepare effective measures along with an accurate assessment of the current situation regarding harmful factors affecting youth, which are being raised as a serious social problem.”

Meanwhile, this public opinion survey was conducted by Korea Information Research from the 13th to the 21st of last month over nine days, targeting 2,332 middle and high school students residing in Gwangju (with a 95% confidence level and a sampling error of ±2.0%p) and 500 parents (with a 95% confidence level and a sampling error of ±4.4%p) through online and telephone interviews.

The scope of the harmful factors affecting youth surveyed was limited to five categories: ▲online cyber gambling ▲digital sex crimes such as deepfake ▲harmful drugs and narcotics ▲unlicensed driving such as electric kickboards ▲high-interest private loans and phone pawn transactions.

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