The number of school violence cases in South Korean middle schools more than doubled those reported in high schools last year, raising concerns about student behavior at younger ages.
A report by Jongro Academy, a major private education firm, revealed that middle schools recorded 17,833 deliberation cases related to school violence in 2024.
This figure is 2.4 times higher than the 7,446 cases reported in high schools during the same year.
The analysis, based on data from the Ministry of Education, covered 3,295 middle schools and 2,380 high schools nationwide.
Physical assault was the most commonly reported form of violence, accounting for 30.9 percent of cases. Verbal abuse followed at 29.3 percent, while cyberbullying made up about 12 percent.
Disciplinary actions taken against middle school offenders also rose to 36,069, nearly triple the 12,975 cases recorded in high schools.
The most frequently imposed punishment was a written apology.
Jongro Academy noted that while middle school violence currently does not affect a student’s chances of getting into college — and only impacts applications to a few elite high schools — the trend should still be taken seriously.
Currently, even minor violations in high school may lead to penalties or disqualification from top universities, including Seoul National University, Yonsei University and Korea University in Korea.
ssh@heraldcorp.com
