Korean Job Discussion Forums

[fermentation]

I wanted to ask some of you public school teachers about bullying in school. If you watch Korean TV, you'll see that there's a lot of media attention on school bullying. I constantly see these PSA commercials on the issue and news segments on how bad its getting. If you're to believe them, you'd think schools are battle grounds for teenage gangs.

I saw one special (on KBS I think) that was talking about a controversy stirred up by a "shocking" video taken in a school. The people on TV, some of them teachers, were talking about how shocked they were at this brutal display of violence and bullying. When they showed the video, it was a group of kids picking on this one kid who was trying his best to ignore them. They were just basically saying mean stuff and lightly smacking/pushing him. I was shocked at how shocked people were. Bullying was a lot more severe when I was going to school and we didn't get any media attention then. If that's the extent of bullying, kids these days are a lot more civil.

To those who teach at schools, how much do you see it or feel that it's going on? Is it really that bad or is this just media sensationalism?

[jvalmer]

One time, outside of school, I rounded a corner and saw some older kids slapping a younger kid from my school. All these kids were students at my school. Once they saw me, they stopped and just walked away. All of them, even the kid being slapped.

You probably don't see it at school that often. Saying that, girls in all girls' schools are the worst. On a few occasions I've seen a 'wangta' absolutely isolated for 3 straight years. I have no idea how she survived not really having anyone to hang around. That is why I try to stay away from long term group activities that require more than a few minutes.

Unless you see it at school, there really isn't much a teacher, especially a foreign teacher can do.

[IncognitoHFX2]

I think that bullying exists here and is bad but it doesn't hold a candle to bullying in American/Canadian schools. I saw more bullying in one week when I was a high school student than I saw in almost three years teaching public school here.

[pat258]

There's definitely bullying in public schools, but as the previous poster said, it's nothing compared to what I've seen in America. Usually what ends up happening (at my school anyway) is the bully is taken out of school and sent to some remedial course at a special school for a few weeks.

And there's a lot teachers (including foreign teachers) can do... pulling kids aside, showing them why it's wrong, etc. Every little bit helps. I've walked into classrooms and successfully stopped bullying... then again, I talk at a volume louder than most jumbo jets, so maybe that has something to do with it, hahaha.

[fermentation]

I'm taking into account that students are going to try to hide it from teachers. Although, at my highschool in Korea, kids didn't even try to hide it and the teachers didn't really care.

[soomin]

There has been a lot of media attention called to bullying because in the past few months, there have been a number of students who committed suicide and left notes saying that they just couldn't handle being bullied anymore.

In Daegu, where I live, there is an apartment building known for having middle school students jump to their deaths because of this problem. It's been reported in local and national newspapers as well. Some of my students knew one of the victims, as well.

[fosterman]

i was in my car one day at the intersection down from a school and saw this kid being rolled two older kids were emptying his pockets and slapping him, I was like WTF? then the bully, picked up his bag and started going through it, then I got out of my car, walked up to the bully, grabbed him and his friend by their jackets and told the little kid to pick up his bag and go away.
the kid bolted, and I proceeded to roll both the kids, emptied their pockets, took their cigarettes, and emptied their wallets, and told them, how does that feel??
that feel good being rolled by someone older and stronger than you?

slapped them once, and told them to FO
they ran for the hills.. hahahaha

[andrewchon]

What has to be understood is a complex relationship between 선배 (student in higher grade ) and 후배 (student in lower grade). The only similar relationship I know is the Fag system at Eton School, England. However, a Fag is a person of responsibility and duties are well known. A whip of a Westminster system political party is also similar. (A whip can actually whip a party memeber if he is inclined to do so) The basic rule is the older students shepherd the younger students and maintain the school discipline. Problem is anyone who happens to be in a higher grade is a 선배 to lower grade student. In an imperfect world, system breaks down, someone who isn't fit to be a 선배 abuse the system, goes on a 'power trip'. Then it becomes 'bullying'. Where does one draw the line then? Nuremberg Nazi trial standard? "A few good men" standard? I personally don't know. But the abuse will go on as long as the majority look the other way.

[Squire]

It's awful to see the kids who have no friends at school and get repeatedly picked on. Korean English teachers are too tolerant of the little stuff like name calling that some kids have to put up with constantly, for years on end. I can't understand what they are saying to each other so there's nothing I can do about that, but the KETs can- yet they tolerate it.

All I feel I can do is keep an eye on the kids and make sure no physical bullying is going on when I'm around.

[amnsg2]

I never really see physical bullying, except when the kid being picked on doesn't seem to see it as bullying. I always see elementary school boys play fighting, it goes too far, one of them cries (usually the same one) and the next day it's all good.

I see a lot of girls being left out, which is definitely a subtle way of doing it. There was a girl in my last hagwon who was picked on every single day before class, and sometimes during class too. Nothing too obvious, but she never had a partner, maybe they'd leave a chair between her and the other girls and once I saw her reading a book outside the study room where the rest of the kids were playing. They must have just pushed her out and told her not to come in. If I ever caught on, I always told them off and started the no Korean game, but since my Korean isn't good enough I wasn't always sure I'd even overheard correctly in the first place. I never felt like I was doing enough.

Her mum had enough one day and came into the school to tell a whole class off in that 'you've disappointed me, your teachers, your parents and most of all yourselves' way that makes you die inside when you're a kid. And it went on for 20 minutes until the main bullies were nearly in tears from guilt and they all came out quietly in single file looking like they'd been on trial.

It was awesome.

[Seoulman69]

[Who's Your Daddy?]

I don't think it is anything new, it's just that parents want to blame the teachers more than before.

[atwood]

Theft is one common form of bullying. Taking all their money and sometimes clothing, for instance, NorthFace jackets.

They also make them do things like clean the floor or sidewalk with their tongues. There's more violence than you realize.

And, as posted above, those picked on too often commit suicide.

[fosterman]

[Seoulman69]