{
  "id": 13883576,
  "title": "Nearly 8 in 10 school violence cases face only mild penalties: report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/nearly-8-in-10-school-violence-cases-face-only-mild-penalties-report-13883576",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T05:47:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20261012/nearly-8-in-10-school-violence-cases-face-only-mild-penalties-report"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A report reveals that nearly 8 out of every 10 cases of school violence receive only mild penalties, as cited by lawmaker Rep. Han Byung-do of the Democratic Party. The data, submitted by the education ministry, shows that 490 instances of such violence were reviewed by school disciplinary committees between 2024 and August of this year. Out of these cases, 1,961 disciplinary measures were imposed on 1,232 students involved, but an alarming 77.7 percent, or 1,523 instances, were considered light penalties. These light measures, which account for the majority of the cases, include requiring a written apology and orders to maintain a distance from the victims. Suspension or transfer to another school only made up the remaining 10 percent, with 193 measures taken. The report highlights a growing trend of a phenomenon known as the \"yacha rule,\" where victims are coerced into unwanted physical fights under the pretense of mutual agreement. There is a pressing need for clear guidelines to address this issue.",
  "summary": "New forms of school violence, including one that forces those bullied into physical fights, are on the rise but many of those responsible for such violence go nearly unpunished, a lawmaker said Monday, citing relevant data from the education ministry. According to the data submitted to Rep. Han Byung-do of the ruling Democratic Party, 490 cases of such violence have been subject to a review by…",
  "key_points": [
    "8 out of 10 school violence cases receive mild penalties",
    "77.7% of cases involve light penalties like apologies",
    "Growing trend of 'yacha rule' in school violence"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The prevalence of light disciplinary measures suggests that current school punishments fail to provide meaningful consequences for violence or effectively deter students from engaging in coerced physical fights.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Nearly 8 in 10 school violence cases face only mild penalties: report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/nearly-8-in-10-school-violence-cases-face-only-mild-penalties-report",
        "published": "2026-10-12T05:21:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Nearly 8 in 10 school violence cases face only mild penalties: report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/nearly-8-in-10-school-violence-cases-face-only-mild-penalties-report-13886761",
        "published": "2026-10-12T06:02:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}