School Bullying: How to Identify, Report & Investigate
This page discusses interpersonal conflicts and bullying behaviors among students on campus (school bullying), which is a completely different issue from the enrollment/fee-related consumer disputes covered on this site's "Refunds and Complaints" page. According to the Ministry of Education's "School Bullying Prevention Guidelines", the key to identifying bullying lies in "repetitiveness" and "actual harm" — not every argument or conflict qualifies, but a single incident that is extremely serious and has affected a child's normal school attendance may also be addressed. Below we explain the identification criteria, the formal reporting channels, and the process and time limits that schools must follow after a request for investigation.
What counts as "school bullying"? It's not just one argument
According to Article 3 of the School Bullying Prevention Guidelines, bullying refers to acts where an individual or group continuously uses verbal, written, pictorial, symbolic, physical, electronic communication, internet, or other means to intentionally demean, exclude, bully, harass, or tease others directly or indirectly, and such acts must cause damage to the other person's mental, physical, or property well-being, or affect their normal learning rights. The key to identification lies in "repetitiveness" and "specific harm" — a single peer friction, disagreement, or ordinary argument is usually not considered bullying; but even if it occurs only once, if it is extremely serious and has caused the child to be unable to attend school normally, it may still be addressed. Whether it constitutes bullying is determined on a case-by-case basis, and the actual result is subject to the review of the school's prevention committee.
Official data source: K-12 Education Administration, Ministry of Education — School Bullying Prevention Guidelines
What are the formal reporting channels if you suspect your child is being bullied?
In addition to directly reporting to the homeroom teacher, there are several formal channels: ① file a complaint through the school's complaint mailbox, ② call the anti-bullying complaint hotline of the city/county where the school is located, ③ call the Ministry of Education's 24-hour hotline "1953", ④ report it in the campus life questionnaire distributed by the school, ⑤ leave a message through the Ministry of Education's anti-school-bullying section. Once the principal and faculty/staff become aware of a suspected incident, they are required to immediately notify the school's responsible personnel, no later than 24 hours, and the school must keep the complainant's identity confidential. To initiate a formal investigation, the victimized student or their legal representative (parent) may fill out a complaint form and file a request for investigation with the school or the competent authority.
After filing a request for investigation, the process and time limits at a glance
After the school receives a complaint, the time limits specified in the guidelines are roughly as follows: ① Review stage — decide whether to accept the case within 20 working days; ② Form a handling team — complete formation within 5 working days after acceptance; ③ Mediation or investigation — complete the report within 2 months from the first meeting, with a possible extension of up to 2 times, each time at most 1 month; ④ Final handling — make an official handling decision within 15 working days after the prevention committee's resolution and notify the applicant in writing. The entire process may take several months. During this time, parents can stay in contact with the school to track progress. The actual timeline is subject to the specific case and school regulations.
Official data source: National Laws and Regulations Database — School Bullying Prevention Guidelines
If the school investigates itself, isn't there a conflict of interest? Composition of the prevention committee
To avoid a conflict of interest, the guidelines require elementary and secondary schools to establish a "School Bullying Prevention Response Team" (prevention committee) with 5 to 11 members, including the principal (chair), teacher representatives, parent representatives, and external experts. It is not decided unilaterally by the school. Under the committee, a "Review Team" (3 members) first preliminarily reviews whether the incident meets the acceptance criteria, and then a "Handling Team" (3 to 5 members) conducts mediation or investigation. The participation of parent representatives and external experts is a check-and-balance mechanism designed by the system, not determined solely by internal school personnel.
What remedies are available if you disagree with the handling result?
If the complainant disagrees with the school's decision to "not accept" the case, they may submit a petition to the competent authority (the city/county education bureau or the Ministry of Education, depending on the school level) within 30 days, and only once. If the alleged perpetrator disagrees with the final handling decision, they may also petition the competent authority once within 30 days. The competent authority has a review committee that conducts a second-level supervisory review of the school-level handling result, so the school's decision is not necessarily the final outcome. This site is a neutral compilation of public information; it does not accept individual cases or act as an agent for appeals. It only aggregates official procedures and remedy channels for reference. Actual handling should be based on the official replies of the school and the competent authority.
FAQ
If my child says they were bullied by classmates at school, does it always count as school bullying?
Not necessarily. According to the School Bullying Prevention Guidelines, the key criteria are "repetitiveness" and "actual harm" — a single argument or disagreement is usually not counted, but a single incident that is extremely serious and has affected a child's normal school attendance may also be addressed. Whether it constitutes bullying is determined on a case-by-case basis by the school's prevention committee.
Besides telling the teacher, what other formal reporting channels are there?
You can use: the school's complaint mailbox, the anti-bullying complaint hotline of the city/county where the school is located, the Ministry of Education's 24-hour hotline "1953", the school's campus life questionnaire, or leave a message in the Ministry of Education's anti-school-bullying section. To start a formal investigation, the victimized student or parent may fill out a complaint form and file a request for investigation with the school or the competent authority.
After filing for investigation, how soon can a result be expected?
Per the guidelines' time limits: whether to accept is decided within 20 working days, the handling team is formed within 5 working days after acceptance, the investigation report is completed within 2 months from the first meeting (may be extended twice, each by 1 month if necessary), and a final decision is made within 15 working days after the committee's resolution. Overall, it may take several months; the actual timeline depends on the case's progress.
If the school investigates itself, won't there be a conflict of interest?
The guidelines include a check-and-balance mechanism: the prevention committee must include the principal, teacher representatives, parent representatives, and external experts (5-11 people in total), and it is divided into a review team and a handling team for different stages, so it is not determined unilaterally by the school. If you are still dissatisfied with the handling result, you can further petition the competent authority (education bureau or the Ministry of Education), and the competent authority's review committee will conduct a second-level review.
What can I do if I disagree with the school's investigation result?
If the complainant disagrees with the "not accepted" decision, or if the alleged perpetrator disagrees with the final handling decision, either party may file a petition to the competent authority within 30 days (each limited to once). The competent authority has a review committee that supervises and reviews the school's handling result, so the school's decision is not necessarily the final outcome.
Does this mechanism also apply to international schools and bilingual schools?
The School Bullying Prevention Guidelines apply to student-on-student bullying incidents at all levels of schools (including elementary and secondary schools), covering public and private schools established under the domestic school system (including lawfully established bilingual/international departments). As for the applicability to pure foreign schools, this site found no clear official provisions to cite. It is recommended to directly confirm with the school and the local education authority about the applicable handling mechanism.
Does swearing at or excluding classmates in LINE groups or on Instagram count as school bullying?
Yes. According to Article 3 of the School Bullying Prevention Guidelines, bullying behaviors explicitly include "electronic communication, internet" and other means. As long as someone continuously demeans, excludes, harasses, or teases others through messaging apps or social media, and it causes actual mental or academic harm, it may be identified as (cyber)bullying. The reporting and investigation channels are the same as those for bullying that occurs on campus.
Official data source: K-12 Education Administration, Ministry of Education — School Bullying Prevention Guidelines, National Laws and Regulations Database — School Bullying Prevention Guidelines
This page is a neutral compilation of public information for reference only. It is not school-selection advice and does not constitute any commitment regarding admission or enrollment.