More schoolgirls involved in bullying in China

More middle school girls are getting involved in bullying and violence on campus, even as most underage boys remain suspect, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) said Wednesday.

Middle school students account for a higher percentage among underage suspects, said Shi Weizhong, deputy head of the SPP's public prosecution department, at a press briefing on Wednesday. For example, nearly 80 percent of underage suspects charged in Lintong, Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province are middle school students.

Recent cases show men are the primary suspects in school bullying, but bullying cases involving female middle school students are rising, according to Shi. 99 percent of 915 underage suspects being prosecuted in the Guangdong Procuratorate are men.

Juveniles under 14 who cannot be criminally liable but are involved in bullying and violence on campus can be sent by the government to reeducation, Shi said.

Recent crimes of juveniles mainly involve physical harm, provoking trouble, robbery and public disturbance, said Shi. Cases of robbery and physical harm in Guangdong Procuratorates account for two-thirds of 510 prosecuted cases from 2013 to 3015.

Procuratorates in China have arrested over 1,100 people involved in 1,881 cases of school violence and bullying from January to November this year.

Bullying can be defined as behavior that causes physical and mental harm to students through body contact, language and online, according to the State Council.