If a child is bullied, report it to the school the same day and ask for a written response; report fights, extortion and rumor-spreading straight to the police

Cost

Free. Go to the homeroom teacher (班主任) and to the school's bullying governance body (欺凌治理组织). To call the police, dial 110 (China's police number). The hard part is holding firm against advice like “don't make a big deal of it.”

What you get

Researchers pooled 34 studies with 284,375 children and adolescents. Being bullied by peers was linked to thoughts of suicide, with an OR of 2.23 (95% CI 2.10–2.37), meaning the chance of having such thoughts was about 2.2 times that of children who were not bullied. A further 9 studies with 70,102 people linked being bullied to suicide attempts, with an OR of 2.55 (1.95–3.34), about 2.6 times. The results were the same across boys and girls, ages, and study quality. The link between cyberbullying and suicidal thoughts was stronger than with in-person bullying. The Provisions on School Protection of Minors (《未成年人学校保护规定》) list five kinds of behavior in Article 21: hitting, kicking, slapping, scratching, biting, shoving and pulling; cursing, mocking and giving insulting nicknames; grabbing, forcibly taking or deliberately damaging property; malicious exclusion and isolation; and making up facts online to slander someone or spreading rumors. The article also says that when the side with the advantage in age, body or numbers does these things deliberately or maliciously and causes physical injury, property loss or mental harm, it can be judged to be bullying. Article 22 requires staff who notice a student's unusual mood or physical injury to look into it and report it promptly. Article 23 requires the school to investigate immediately on receiving a report, submit the case to the bullying governance body for determination and handling, and notify the parents so they can take part. Where bullying is found, the school must impose educational discipline or a disciplinary sanction. Serious bullying that breaks public-security rules or may be a crime may not be concealed and must be reported promptly to the public security authorities and the education administration (nationwide, in force from September 1, 2021).

Notes

If a child has injuries with no clear explanation, suddenly refuses to go to school, or keeps losing belongings, start by asking about the signals listed in Article 22. This pooled analysis only follows people over time and has no randomized comparison, so it can't prove that bullying alone causes suicide, but the direction and size of the risk are clear. The Plan for Comprehensively Addressing Bullying among Primary and Secondary School Students (《加强中小学生欺凌综合治理方案》) also requires a strict distinction between bullying and playful roughhousing among students. So the school has a duty to make a determination and can't close the matter with “kids are just playing.”

Evidence grade

A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.

Sources

1. van Geel M, et al. (2014). Relationship between peer victimization, cyberbullying, and suicide in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.4143
2. 教育部 (2021). 未成年人学校保护规定（教育部令第 50 号，第二十一、二十二、二十三条）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2021-06/02/content_5614946.htm

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 30, tip 3. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer