The education ministry on Wednesday presented a draft of revisions to its investigation guidelines for serious bullying cases in which children are suspected of having suffered severe physical or mental harm.
The ministry plans to seek public comments on the draft and finalize the revisions in August, before notifying schools about the revised guidelines.
Schools and education boards investigate serious bullying cases based on the law for the promotion of measures to prevent bullying.
The ministry compiled the current investigation guidelines in 2017. It decided to revise them after the number of serious bullying cases hit a record high of 923 in fiscal 2022.
The draft noted that third parties will join investigation teams in principle, saying that it is desirable to actively consider the participation by experts or third-party individuals in investigating cases that require confirmation of detailed facts.
The third-party individuals should be those recommended by bar, medical or other professional associations, and should not include lawyers or counselors working for schools where serious bullying cases were reported, it also said.
The draft stressed the need to ensure neutrality especially when bullied children have killed themselves, when there are discrepancies in the accounts of people involved and when there is distrust between schools and other parties.
The revised guidelines will state that bullies, victims and their guardians will receive explanations before investigations begin, and will highlight the need to immediately report to police and seek support if bullying can cause physical harm or damage to property.
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