At least 20,000 bullies in schools: survey

Child Welfare League Foundation estimated that there at least 20,000 bullies in elementary and junior high schools across Taiwan, based on a survey it conducted on 2,000 schoolchildren.

The survey found that 7 percent of elementary and junior high school students admitted to often bullying classmates with thirty percent of the self-professed bullies saying that they have resorted to violence.

Of the seven percent of schoolchildren who admitted to often bullying others, two percent said that they would ridicule or hit other classmates every day, according to the CWLF survey.

The most common form of bullying, the survey found, was "relationship bullying," or group manipulation against a certain individual, followed by "verbal bullying," such as ridiculing classmates or giving them unpleasant nicknames.

The survey also found that for violent bullies, the number of boys double that of girls, with some even seeking help from gang members outside of school.

CWLF said that results of the survey indicate a relationship between a bully and his or her family's method of discipline.

57 percent of the bullies said that they come from a family of strict discipline, 25 percent said that their parents often berate them, 16 percent said that their parents have hit them, while 12 percent maintain a highly-conflicting relationship with their family.

The survey also delves into the beliefs that the school bullies hold with questions on some social misconceptions.

68 percent of the school bullies believe in revenging a vengeful act, 42 percent believe that picking on their classmates is a heroic act, and 34 percent think that they must bully others so others will not bully them.

The CWLF survey was conducted in June on 2,000 students of elementary and junior high schools in Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Hualien, including students in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth grades.