The Korean National Police Agency will launch two months of intensive prevention activities in March and April for the new semester to prevent school violence, led by school police officers (SPOs).
The Korean National Police Agency said on the 2nd, "From the 3rd to Apr. 30, SPOs will visit all schools they are assigned to, establish a communication system with the teacher in charge of school violence, and conduct intensive inspections of concerns related to school violence."
SPOs plan to provide close management, including one-on-one interviews, with students who are victims and perpetrators of school violence. They will also check whether there were any additional crimes or additional harm. They will support victim safety measures for students who were harmed, and manage students who committed offenses by linking them to guidance programs to prevent reoffending or retaliation.
Serious cases such as violent circles and sexual violence will be met with strict action through swift investigations. For relatively minor matters, police will guide "restorative policing," which focuses on restoring relationships and preventing recurrence. The aim is to manage conflicts with a focus on victim recovery.
Restorative policing has offenders and victims talk with the help of experts and guides fundamental solutions such as conflict resolution and prevention of recurrence. It was implemented in 137 school violence cases last year.
Police will also carry out publicity efforts. They will send home letters to parents to provide information on SPOs and the 117 school violence reporting center, and will run campaigns with related agencies such as education offices and schools for campuses with concerns about frequent school violence.
The recent rise in school violence combined with cyberbullying leading to crimes such as gambling, drugs and deepfakes is also a focus of intensive management. Police also decided to provide youth with guidance on rules to prevent new types of crime.
Yu Jae-seong, acting commissioner of the Korean National Police Agency, said, "Because shaping the atmosphere at the start of the semester is important for addressing school violence, we will work with schools to respond systematically from prevention to follow-up management."