Police action on reports of school bullying has risen sharply. Apparently with the rise in public awareness of the seriousness of the bullying problem, more cases are now being exposed that earlier might have gone unnoticed.
But even more important than police action are efforts by teachers and school officials to prevent and to stop bullying by paying close attention to their students and having better communication with them.
According to the National Police Agency, the number of juvenile crimes committed in connection with school bullying in which the police took action in 2013 rose 57 percent from the previous year to 410, with 724 elementary, junior high and senior high students arrested or taken into police protection and guidance due to bullying. While part of the rise may be attributable to the widening definition of bullying cases, the number appears to suggest that more cases of bullying are being reported to the police by the victims, their parents and schools.