Public outrage has sparked in China after three teenage girls tortured and murdered a 14-year-old named Lai. Protests have since exploded in Jiangyou, a big city of the southwest of the country. This brutal incident has sparked new discussions about bullying and their place in China’s ultra-competitive education system, calling for immediate systemic change. The horrifying assault, recorded by passersby and released to social media, incited an uproar among the people and millions of views online.
The attack on Lai produced several contusions on her scalp and kneecaps. Local officials and first responders immediately jumped into action. Instead, police clamped down, charging the two girls and punishing both teenagers for their emotional outburst. They were both sent to a correctional school for beating Lai up and verbally abusing him. A third girl who took part in the incident was subject to this “criticism and education,” as were bystanders who saw the attack. The custodians of the girls were directed to maintain closer discipline on the girls under their charge at home.
Unfortunately, this recent incident is not an outlier. Last December, a court sentenced a teenage boy to life in prison for murdering his classmate, an act that sparked national debate regarding how the law addresses juvenile offenders. All of the suspects in that case were under 14 years of age. They had been bullying their eventual victim — 13-year-old classmate, Baasil Hanif — long before they killed him in an old greenhouse. High-profile and extreme incidents like these have spurred Chinese authorities to promise increased punishments and new anti-bullying legislation.
When the video of Lai’s beating spread on social media, the city of Jiangyou quickly became a center of public discussion. On Tuesday, it was the second top-trending topic on the Weibo social media platform before being scrubbed from the site, leading conversations and capturing the attention of millions. Protesters spoke out against the so-called ‘slap on the wrist’ punishments for bullying crimes.
“The sentence is too light … that is why they were so arrogant” – a top-liked Weibo commenter.
Another protester expressed broader concerns about governmental actions, stating, “They’re sweeping away citizens everywhere.”
In another, related story, a Wisconsin teen was handed a 12-year prison term for harassing his victim into suicide. At the same time, a third boy who did not physically hurt the victim at all received a sentence of correctional education. These cases are indicative of a growing awareness and understanding of the effects of bullying in our schools. They further shed important light on how the legal system responds to these incidents and the larger societal ramifications.