Reports of student bullying in a middle school in Miaoli County Education Department: Investigation mechanism has been launched

A suspected incident of physical conflict and peer bullying among students at a junior high school in Miaoli County was posted on the Facebook group "Miaoli Big Events" and attracted attention; County Magistrate Zhong Dongjin was also tagged. The County Education Department stated that after receiving the relevant information, it required the school to handle it properly in accordance with the law and simultaneously initiated relevant safety protection and investigation mechanisms.

According to the content of the post, a male student was suspected of being forced to buy drinks by his classmates for a long time. The male student simply did not bring his EasyCard to school at the beginning of this semester. Unexpectedly, he was first "searched" and his pockets were searched, and then even slapped, punched in the stomach and bruised his left hand.

The post sparked discussion among netizens, and Zhong Dongjin was also tagged. Zhong Dongjin responded to netizens in a Facebook post, "Let us understand immediately. Taking into account the principles of child and juvenile law and fairness and justice, we will investigate as necessary and handle as necessary."

The Education Department stated that the school has completed the school security report in accordance with the relevant regulations on campus bullying prevention. The review team has decided to accept it and formed a processing team to investigate according to law. More than half of the members were hired from the Ministry of Education's "Professional Mediation and Investigation Talent Pool for Student-on-Student Bullying Incidents". Experts and scholars, adhering to the principles of fairness, objectivity, and fairness, conducted a complete investigation into the relevant personnel, facts, and circumstances to clarify the truth of the incident.

The Education Department stated that during the investigation, students' safety and education rights were given priority, and the school was required to take necessary risk isolation and flexible learning environment adjustment measures to reduce unnecessary contact and conflicts among relevant students. At the same time, the Education Department's inspectors will continue to visit the school for supervision, and combined with professional resources such as counseling centers, provide necessary care, guidance and support to students, teachers and parents. The investigation results will be properly handled in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Director of Education Ye Xinhui said that before the investigation results of suspected bullying incidents are confirmed, it is not appropriate to arbitrarily label or draw conclusions about students. The Education Department will supervise the school to complete the investigation process in accordance with the law. If the investigation confirms that bullying or other violations of laws and regulations have occurred, appropriate handling and counseling will be provided in accordance with relevant regulations.