A video clip showing a girl being beaten by eight minors circulated online recently. It brought the issue of school bullying into the spotlight once again.

The incident happened in Wenchang in south China's Hainan Province. On October 7, local police announced that the three minors who are over 14 were given administrative detention of 15 days and fined 1,000 yuan ($144) each. As they are under 16 and it was the first offense, an administrative detention will not be executed. Those below 14 are given no formal punishment, but their parents were advised to strengthen their discipline at home. This has spurred a hot debate online regarding the issue of school bullying.

Soft punishments and lack of education are cited as the primary reasons for the prevalence of school bullying. In order to prevent bullying, schools should not simply report it to the police but establish a committee chaired by the principal and made up of teachers, parents' representatives and experts to come up with an emergency response plan. Schools could also invite legal experts or police officers to give courses on law and morality to students.

Legal punishment for school bullying should play its role by striking a balance between punishment for minors' crimes and their protection.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article published in Legal Daily on October 10)