School installs alarm system in toilets to stop bullying as violence persists on campus
A school in Fujian province has won plaudits for installing an alarm system – including in its toilets – to prevent bullying.
The Aofeng School said in March the pilot system targeted the toilets because administrators knew that was where a lot of bullying took place. The school has students at both primary and secondary levels.
According to a demonstration video, students who feel threatened can shout trigger words, such as “help” or “I’m being beaten,” which will alert devices placed around the premises that someone is in danger.
The devices notify teachers on their computers, and they can use an app on their phone to speak to the students via a speaker at the location.
A “surveillance” feature allows teachers to use cameras to monitor what is happening where the device is installed.
The headmaster, Guo Bojing. said he hoped the system would enable teachers to react quickly.
He said that the device could “effectively enhance the school’s capacity to prevent and deal with school bullying”.
The system is still being tested as teachers want to ensure it cannot be abused by students trying to prank staff by yelling out trigger words. The apparatus does not alert the police, so teachers still need to contact them if a case of bullying becomes serious.
A string of recent vicious bullying cases has raised public awareness about the need to find a solution to the problem.
In March, a secondary school girl in Fujian province committed suicide after suffering constant bullying from her classmates. After her death, her mother found her daughter had transferred money to at least two bullies many times.
Also in March, a secondary school boy was beaten by two senior students in a toilet on campus. Another student filmed the violence and posted it online, saying he thought the clip would help the victim because the bullies had “beat him too hard”.
A 2019 Unesco report on school violence found almost one in three students worldwide had been bullied by peers at school.
A research group from the Central China Normal University surveyed 10,000 students from 130 primary and secondary schools in six provinces between 2019 and 2020 and discovered 12.7 per cent of students reported physical bullying, 17.4 per cent, verbal bullying and 6.8 per cent of the cyber variety.
Sun Jinlu, an assistant professor at Beihang University’s School of Public Administration in Beijing, said it was important for parents and schools to pay attention to signs of problems in school, because bullied students might lack the courage to seek help.
On social media platform Weibo, people praised the Fujian school. “The alarm system is great. It should be promoted nationwide,” one person wrote.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. Dial 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services.