No tolerance for campus violence

A FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN Jinan, East China’s Shandong province, was beaten so severely by a male schoolmate that she lost consciousness. However, the school threatened her with disciplinary punishment if she revealed what had happened. Beijing News comments:

The violent attack on the girl puts to shame the school, which should have performed its responsibility to deal with the incident in a timely, fair and transparent manner. The wrongdoer should be punished accordingly or police should have been called to deal with the case.

Instead, the school chose to take the most inappropriate action, by threatening the victim if she did not choose to shut up. In doing so, the school has actually become an accomplice of the wrongdoer, while turning a blind eye to the victim’s mental and physical suffering.

The Jinan education bureau has investigated the case and confirmed the veracity of the girl’s complaint and is holding the decision-makers in the school and the girl’s attacker accountable under the law.

This case should remind other schools of their obligation to effectively deal with campus violence, which should not be regarded as simply kids being naughty.

In fact, the education authorities, schools and parents must work together to curb the violence in schools. The lawshould also be amended or enforced in a more effective and efficient manner, if necessary, to better protect children from campus violence.