School Violence in Korea: What Parents Need to Know About School Violence Committees, Juvenile Justice, and Legal Procedures
If you receive a call saying your child was bullied at school — or that your child has been identified as the aggressor — most parents feel completely lost about what comes next.
School violence in Korea does not end with a teacher's reprimand. It can escalate into a review by the district School Violence Committee (학폭위), a criminal complaint, a juvenile court hearing, and in serious cases, placement in a juvenile detention facility.
Recently, public debate has emerged around lowering the age threshold for juvenile offenders from 14 to 13, meaning even cases involving elementary and middle school students can no longer be treated lightly.
How a School Violence Case Unfolds
Once an incident is reported, the homeroom teacher or principal notifies the district Office of Education, which then determines whether to convene a School Violence Committee (학교폭력대책심의위원회).
Minor cases may be resolved at the school level, but most are referred to the committee, which reviews the facts and determines the appropriate disciplinary measure.
If the conduct constitutes a criminal offense — such as assault, injury, threats, sexual violence, or cyberbullying — the victim's family may file a separate criminal complaint with police. It is important to note that the School Violence Committee process and criminal or juvenile court proceedings can run simultaneously.
Disciplinary measures range from Level 1 (written apology) to Level 9 (expulsion). These are not merely school-level sanctions — they are recorded in the student's academic file and can affect university admissions and school transfers, leaving a long-term impact on both the victim and the offender.
When the Offender Is a Juvenile Under 14
If the offending student is between 10 and 14 years old, they are classified as a juvenile offender under Korean law and are not subject to criminal punishment. Instead, the case is handled under the Juvenile Act and referred to the Family Court's juvenile division, where a protective disposition is issued.
Protective dispositions range from Level 1 (supervision by a guardian) to Level 10 (placement in a juvenile reformatory). The higher the level, the greater the restriction on the child's freedom and the more significant the social stigma.
With ongoing discussions about lowering the juvenile offender age to 13, it is no longer safe to assume that cases involving young children fall entirely outside the scope of juvenile court proceedings.
The Outcome Is Often Decided Before the Committee Meets
In many school violence cases, the direction of the outcome is already set before the School Violence Committee convenes.
How a party responds in the early stages — before the first written statement, before the committee is called, before a police interview — can significantly shape the entire process that follows.
These cases move faster than most people expect. From the moment the school becomes aware of an incident, a committee hearing typically takes place within a matter of weeks. If criminal or juvenile court proceedings follow, the window for preparation becomes even shorter.
Within that time, the affected party must establish the direction of their account, organize the evidence, and prepare for the other side's claims. The first written statement submitted becomes the reference point for everything that follows — the committee members, the police, and the juvenile court judge will all scrutinize its consistency and credibility.
A statement written in haste, driven by emotion, or containing inaccuracies is very difficult to correct later. And once a School Violence Committee ruling or a juvenile protective disposition is issued, overturning it through an appeal process is rarely straightforward in practice.
When Should You Consult a School Violence Lawyer?
If a medical certificate has been issued, or if the case involves group bullying, persistent exclusion, sexual misconduct, or the distribution of recordings, legal counsel should be sought from the very beginning. Where criminal proceedings or a juvenile court referral are anticipated, careful preparation — separate from the committee process — is essential.
Once the seriousness of a case becomes clear, there is no time to delay in reviewing your options.
Decent Law Firm's school violence team handles the full process — from the School Violence Committee through criminal and juvenile court proceedings — starting from the initial consultation through to resolution.
