{
  "id": 16405526,
  "title": "School bullying cases in Hong Kong rise 32% to nearly 500 a year",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/school-bullying-cases-in-hong-kong-rise-32-to-nearly-500-a-year-16405526",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-25T01:00:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3372020/school-bullying-cases-hong-kong-rise-32-nearly-500-year"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hong Kong schools reported a 32% increase in bullying cases from 2019 to 2025, averaging 496 incidents per year. This rise is attributed to heightened awareness of mental health issues and difficulty distinguishing playful jokes from bullying, according to the Education Bureau. The Programme for International Student Assessment revealed that 22.2% of Hong Kong 15-year-olds reported experiencing bullying at least a few times a month, higher than the OECD average of 19.6%. The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups has provided advice and counseling services to students and parents, but resolving cases has become more challenging due to victims turning into bullies and the impact of social media. Schools must assign different staff members to handle emotional support and parent communication, emphasizing the importance of addressing children's mental health while maintaining a \"zero-tolerance\" policy towards bullying.",
  "summary": "Hong Kong schools handled an average of 496 bullying cases each academic year from 2022 to 2025 – a 32 per cent jump compared with the previous three years, according to the Education Bureau. A youth group attributed the increase to greater reporting driven by heightened mental health awareness, but also students struggling to distinguish playful jokes from bullying. According to the bureau,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}