Bodyguards to help combat bullying

by Roger Sinasohn (Subscribe to Roger Sinasohn's posts) Feb 28th 2007 1:31PM

Categories: Newborns, Health & Safety, Education

I guess they're having a real problem with bullying over in South Korea. So much so that the government is starting a program to offer bodyguards to kids who need them on the way to and from school. "We are going to try to protect the student who is being bullied and find out who is doing the bullying," said Park Jung-hee, an education ministry official. According to Park, the bodyguards will not sit with the children during class.

In South Korea, bullying is a serious problem; victims have even committed suicide. The bodyguards are just one part of the education ministry's efforts to curb school violence. The ministry is also providing counseling and increased training for teachers. "Violence within schools will not be eradicated right away. Changes can only take place through effective short-term and long-term policies," Park said.

I'm glad the government is taking steps to address this problem. Schools should be a place of hope and learning, not of fear and pain. As one who got his fair share of beatings at school, I applaud the South Korean government for taking steps to make their schools a safe place.

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