The educational bureau of South China's Guangdong Province Monday said it considers derogatory nicknames and cyber violence as school bullying.
A school bully is someone who intentionally and maliciously causes physical, financial or mental harm to others through speech, physical or online abuse, regardless of whether it is done in or out of school, according to a plan published on the Guangdong Province education department's website.
It said school bullying includes giving others derogatory nicknames and degrading others on social media with language or images.
Students involved in serious bullying incidents could be sent to special schools for correction education, the plan said.
The plan applies to all elementary and secondary students, as well as those in technician training schools in Guangdong Province.
Schools should create committees to investigate and determine if a case constitutes school bullying within 10 days, the plan said.
To deal with increasing bullying cases in Chinese schools, the State Council's Education Supervision Committee in April launched an anti-bullying campaign in middle and primary schools.
The committee will release a summary of the campaign in late November, according to an announcement on the Ministry of Education website.
