A series of recent incidents of campus violence in primary and high schools across China have triggered discussion on whether the punishments for teenage abusers are too light. Video footage of several incidents of campus violence has gone viral online since May. In a video posted on Monday, a girl from Yongxin county in Jiangxi Province was beaten by nine teenage girls and was asked to kneel down.
The Jiangxi provincial public security department announced on Wednesday that the victim, surnamed Huang, had conflicts with a schoolmate surnamed Liu over affairs in the students' association. Liu, who held a grudge with Huang and orchestrated the group attack, has been detained.
Another video showed several high school students from Qingyuan county, Zhejiang Province lock a primary school student in a small room, beating him up and burning him with a cigarette.
The incidents have triggered public outrage on campus violence, with some netizens urging schools and parents to better discipline the children, while others suggested revising laws and regulations to deter the violence.
"Teenagers pay a small price for their violent acts under current regulations, and the light punishment they receive may encourage further violent behavior," Zhang Kaixuan, an expert from the Beijing Youth Legal and Psychological Consultation Service Center, told the Global Times.
"Most of the perpetrators of campus violence are released after getting an 'education' or receiving a suspended sentence," Zhang said.
The lack of proper guidance from teachers, poor family guidance, the influence of films and television programs and the feeling of being marginalized among peers all contribute to the increase of violence among teenagers, said Zhang.
"The victims of campus violence are not the only ones who are suffering. Other students are also victims of fear. Such fear could gradually erode their sense of justice. The perpetrators may feel emboldened to commit more serious offenses," said Zhang.
"Campus violence could be minimized if society and schools educate students to respect others by creating a fair and humane environment and offering opportunities for them to take part in charity activities," said Zhang.
