Study Buddy (Explorer): School in China installs toilet alarms to tackle bullying
- The Aofeng School has installed an extensive system to prevent students from bullying their peers
- Each week, this page presents an interesting story that we have adjusted to be more accessible for all English learners
A Chinese school is trying to find creative ways to battle the issue of bullying. Photo: Shutterstock Content provided by British Council
Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below:
[1] A school in China has won praise for installing an extensive alarm system – including in its toilets – to prevent bullying. The Aofeng School in Fujian province said in March that the pilot system targeted the toilets specifically because administrators knew that was where a lot of bullying took place.
[2] According to a demonstration video, students who feel threatened can shout trigger words, such as “help” or “I’m being beaten”. Such words will alert devices placed around the premises that someone is in danger. The devices notify teachers on their computers, and they can use an app on their phones to speak to the students via a speaker at the location.
[3] A “surveillance” feature allows teachers to use cameras to monitor what is happening where the device is installed. The hope is that the system will enable teachers to react immediately, said the school’s headmaster, Guo Bojing.
[4] The system is still being tested because teachers want to ensure it cannot be abused by students trying to prank staff by randomly yelling out trigger words. The device does not alert the police, so teachers still need to contact authorities if a case of bullying becomes serious. A string of bullying cases has raised awareness about the need to find a solution.
[5] In March, a secondary school girl in southeastern Fujian province committed suicide after suffering constant bullying from her classmates. After her death, her mother discovered that her daughter had transferred money to at least two bullies many times. Also in March, a secondary school boy was beaten by two senior students in a toilet on campus. Another student filmed the violence and posted it online, saying he thought the clip would help the victim because the bullies had “beat him too hard.”
[6] According to a 2019 Unesco report on school violence, almost one in three students worldwide had been bullied by their peers. A research group from the Central China Normal University surveyed 10,000 students from 130 primary and secondary schools in six provinces between 2019 and 2020. The study discovered that 12.7 per cent of students reported physical bullying, 17.4 per cent verbal and 6.8 per cent of the cyber variety.
[7] Sun Jinlu, an assistant professor at Beihang University’s School of Public Administration in Beijing, said it is important for parents and schools to pay attention to signs of problems in school because bullied children might lack the courage to seek help.
[8] If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
Source: South China Morning Post, April 12
Questions
1. In paragraph 1, the alarm system was installed in school bathrooms because …
A. students were spending too much time in there.
B. some teachers wanted to check on the students.
C. many cases of bullying happened there.
D. all of the above
2. Find a phrase in paragraph 2 that refers to “specific phrases students yell when they feel unsafe”.
3. Decide whether the following statements based on paragraphs 2 to 4 are True, False or the Information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks)
(i) The system is connected to the police.
(ii) Teachers can communicate with students through the alarm system’s devices.
(iii) A special camera feature allows teachers to see what is going on.
(iv) It takes less than 10 seconds for teachers to receive the alerts.
4. Why is the system still being tested according to paragraph 4?
5. The examples provided in paragraph 5 show …
A. the seriousness of bullying in schools.
B. how bullying in schools can be prevented.
C. why some students pick on others.
D. why females are more prone to being bullied compared to males.
6. According to the Unesco report in paragraph 6 …
A. a third of students have reported being bullied.
B. a quarter of all students have reported being bullied.
C. half of all students have reported being bullied.
D. less than one fifth of students say they have been bullied.
7. List the three forms of bullying mentioned in paragraph 6. (3 marks)
8. Why do parents need to watch out for signs that their child might be having problems at school according to paragraph 7?
9. What is the purpose of paragraph 8?
Answers
1. C
2. trigger words
3. (i) F; (ii) T; (iii) T; (iv) NG
4. The system is still being tested because teachers want to ensure it cannot be abused by students trying to prank staff by randomly yelling out trigger words.
5. A
6. A
7. physical bullying, verbal bullying, cyber bullying
8. It is because bullied children might lack the courage to seek help.
9. It is to let people know where they can get help if they are having suicidal thoughts, or if they know someone who is. (accept all similar answers)