Blog
Bullying is one of the most prevalent causes of stress and subsequently, suicide amongst young adolescents. Although the topic is addressed frequently in mass media in South Korea such as Korean dramas, webtoons, and novels, it is still considered a taboo to address the bully culture. But in all seriousness - South Korea has a bullying problem. Because of the competitive nature of Korean society, it has become a survival of the fittest amongst the students. According to the Korean Ministry of Education, 41.7% of students are abused verbally, 14.5% are attacked by groups of iljins, with 12.4 percent of students being physically harmed, and 9.8% being cyberbullied. It can be argued that those who bully do so to feel superior to their peers - to feel a power that they either do not possess outside of school or show off the power that their family also possesses. Social isolation and ostracization of innocent students becomes a norm within the schools. It is so common that there have been terms coined for the bully - “iljin” (일진), and those bullied, “wangtta,” (왕따). Those who are bullied tend to be those who are considered as either the outcasts or different than the majority of the class but this does not mean that the acts can’t be doled out to any random student. Much like how it can be seen to be the popular versus the unpopular kids in a school yard, this is similar. Lee Su-In, a 15 year-old student, stated that she was bullied by some classmates simply because they did not like her appearance. When her bullying was reported to a teacher, not much was done to help Su-In. The teacher’s only solution was to make Su-In listen as the teacher told off her bullies. And afterwards, she reported to receive even harsher abuse which resulted in her transfer of schools. One can think of this situation as a famous saying amongst adolescents today: “Snitches get stitches.” Su-In’s story is just one of the many stories that go untold. So, while bullying is such a big problem, why does it seem like nothing is being done? One reason could be the lack of report or incorrect reporting of the statistics. In reality, students who experience bully commit suicide after the stress from continuous verbal and physical abuse. In addition, the Korean government is unable to account for a specific cause in ⅓ of youth suicide. As a result of this lack of information, it causes the Korean populace to become unbelieving when this topic is brought up. While bullying is still a big problem, there have been some changes where victims are truly finding a voice again and speaking out about the abuse they experienced. With the advancements of technology and help from social media, victims are now able to document the abuse and speak out against their bullies. Most notably are the recent exposures of victims speaking up against their bullies who are currently celebrities.
While already having to deal with stress of their academic life, young adolescents are having to grapple with the changes of their bodies and living in a country with such strong beauty standards does not help. It was reported that out of the number of citizens that acknowledge having some mental stress or health related issues, 30.7% were female students and 20.1% were male students. Unable to attain the body image they so much crave, young adolescents are constantly plagued with reminders of their possible inferiority. At a time when the body is in a constant state of changing, body image becomes a great factor in a young adolescents self-esteem. With such oppressive standards of beauty and appearance, many students are left with feelings of inadequacy. One research even showed that while female adolescents’ mental health was affected by a negative self-body perception, this did not have a large effect on male adolescents’ mental health. It can be seen that there is more importance put on women’s outer appearance in societies. South Korea is very well-known for their vast amounts of skin-care products, makeup, dieting supplements, and cosmetic surgery. With a beauty standard of one to have porcelain, pale skin, double lid eyelids with large eyes, a V-shaped jaw, and a slim figure, young adolescents are forced to pay a lot of attention to their outer appearance. The importance of appearances can be attributed to lookism - a term defined as discrimination or prejudice towards outward appearances that do not fit within societal expectations of beauty. It is even well known that Korean parents would give double- eyelids and/or nose surgery as high school graduation gifts for their children. In fact, most students look forward to getting the double-eyelids surgery as it is a way for students to fit it - there is no stigma attached to getting plastic surgery in Korea. For one to not go under the knife is considered a stigma. The preference for the porcelain, pale skin can be traced back to being a symbol of higher status when South Korea was still mainly an agricultural society. Those of a higher, privileged class did not work out in the fields and out in the sun, therefore, they had a lighter complexion. Because of this classist view, those with darker-skin or tan skin were associated with being of a lower class. Not wanting to be looked down on or be associated with a lower class, a lot of South Koreans would use products to help “whiten” their skin and give the clear, porcelain look. There are a lot of “whitening” facial creams and products or whitening procedures that people can get done at beauty clinics. English teacher at the Gumi Girls High School, Mallory Thornberry, noted that “there were multiple mirrors in the school, full length ones in every hallway.”She stated that “men and women here are always looking in mirrors, and they’re not shy about it.” There were also weight scales available for students to use throughout the hallways and corridors. This constant need to check weight is due to the strong desire to have either the S-Line figure for women and an androgynous body shape for men. Having a slim figure is also considered an important part of one’s identity. This can be attributed to the influence of the media as well as the lookism culture of Korea. Emphasis on the slim body type is so important that there are so many different kinds of dieting trends that occur amongst adolescents - some of these can also be attributed to the Korean idol and entertainment world. With popular movies like “Oh My Venus!” and “200 Pound Beauty” that positively promotes weight loss and plastic surgery, viewers soon associate success with beauty. The outward appearance is so important that most job applications will require the applicant to attach a clear unedited photo of themselves because appearance is just another factor that ties one into getting into a school, finding work, getting married or becoming a celebrity. As Sharon Hejin Lee, an associate professor in the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University, explained: “Investment is the key word people use. Forget about procedures, it’s about investment in their futures. Whether it’s about getting a better job or a better husband, people are thinking about this in economic terms.” With constant pressure put on them to look attractive, in addition to pressures from their educational institutions, social friend groups or lack-there-of, and family, adolescents face increasing stressors to their mental health. Unfortunately, these factors within their life can sometimes push a student to take their own life.
While it is important to note all these factors, the subject of suicide will be mentioned within this section. If you or anyone you know that may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741. As mentioned before, South Korea ranks highest in suicide rates in developed countires. According to the NSO (National Statistical Office) research, in 2000, the suicide rate was only 8%. However, in 2007, the suicide rate increased up to 13%, and, in 2009, the rate increased to 16%. The suicide rate increased two times over the last 10 years. Other research findings also suggest that hopelessness, daily stress, alienation, depression, lack of self-esteem, lack of self-identity, inadequate social support, and psychological construct are all causative factors for suicide. In 2006, 32.6% of Korean adolescents had thoughts of suicide and 3% (135 individuals) admitted to attempting suicide. Another study revealed that 19.1% (15.2% of males and 23.5% of females of Korean adolescents had thoughts of suicide in the past 12 months and 4.6% had actually attempted suicide. The stress and pressure that students experience are heightened around the time of exam. As South Korea prides itself on their educational programs, students are pushed to work extremely hard for their grades, where a large part of their future depends on their grades. During exam periods, schools are required to lock their rooftop-access doors as an action towards previous suicide attempts by students. As extreme as this sounds, this is a precaution that needs to be taken to safeguard students. Although teachers are trained to assist students who actively seek out help, many do not. Unfortunately, the statistics and attention towards mental health is only given light after a student takes their life. There needs to be more action and outlets created to help adolescents with their mental health and other personal struggles before they have intentions of self harm. Again, if you or anyone you know that may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.