Kaohsiung Mayor Pledges City Intervention After School Fails to Report Bullying Case

(CNA, Kaohsiung, May 21, by reporter Lin Chiao-lien) A bullying incident occurred at a junior high school in Kaohsiung where a female student was subjected to long-term verbal bullying by classmates, including being given nicknames, mocked, and having her photo posted online, yet the school did not proactively report it. Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai stated that if the complaint process is unsuccessful, one can report directly to the Education Bureau. KMT Kaohsiung City Councilor Chiu Yu-hsuan stated in a general interpellation session today that since the establishment of the 2024 campus bullying handling mechanism, the acceptance rate has dropped from 62% to 55%. Although the number of confirmed bullying cases has decreased, 43 out of 142 investigation cases from last year are still under investigation, a process too lengthy to provide timely assistance to students. Chiu Yu-hsuan said she recently received a petition from a parent whose daughter has been enduring long-term bullying from classmates at school. The student described feeling collectively bullied by her peers and being very afraid to go to school. The parent also said their daughter is now experiencing physical and mental health issues and once had a lock of her hair cut off by a classmate. During the bullying, she had sought help from a teacher, but the school failed to report the incident. In response, Chen Chi-mai stated that all campus bullying cases are handled by a city-level independent investigation team. If the in-school complaint process is not smooth, one can directly report the case through the 1999 hotline, the mayor's mailbox, or to the Education Bureau, and the city government will definitely take over the case. The Kaohsiung City Education Bureau responded via a text message, stating that after being notified on the 14th, it had instructed the school to complete a campus security report in accordance with the law. It also supervised the establishment of a handling team composed entirely of external experts to launch an investigation. Simultaneously, it has demanded a review of the school's failure to report in a timely manner and will pursue relevant legal responsibilities. Furthermore, as the student is currently unable to attend classes in person, the bureau has instructed the school to provide flexible learning measures. Online instruction has been arranged since the 19th. Subsequently, based on the wishes of the student and parent, the school will assist with seat adjustments or applications to transfer classes to ensure the right to education is not interrupted. A three-tier counseling mechanism has been activated, with the school continuously monitoring the student's mental, physical, and academic well-being. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching)