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3 out of 10 students experience bullying in S. Korea

March 19, 2015

First graders attend an elementary school entrance ceremony in Seoul on March 2, 2015. (Yonhap)

By Kim Se-jeong

More than 30 percent of students in South Korean elementary, middle and high schools are victims of bullying, according to a study released Thursday.

The data was gathered by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and found 32.2 percent of respondents said that they have experienced violence at school.

Male students were exposed more to violence than female students, with 33.4 percent and 30.9 percent, respectively. Students in urban areas were more vulnerable to violence than those in rural areas, 35.4 percent and 25.1 percent. And, students living with single parents were more exposed to violence than those with both a mother and father.

By age groups, 38.6 percent of respondents between 9 and 11 years of age said they have been victims of assaults, while only 29.7 percent of respondents between 12 and 17 said they have been abused.

Not all the respondents were victims. More than 20 percent of respondents answered that they have been offenders.

Drinking and smoking were the most common misdemeanors committed by 11.3 percent of respondents. Young people are prohibited by law from smoking or drinking.

Among those who said they drank alcohol, more were from rural areas than from cities. The case was the same for smoking, as those living in rural areas were more exposed to smoking than those from cities.