Kyrgyz School Death Highlights Bullying Scourge
| Publisher | Institute for War and Peace Reporting |
| Author | Mirlan Kadyrov |
| Publication Date | 6 November 2015 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RCA Issue 774 |
| Cite as | Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Kyrgyz School Death Highlights Bullying Scourge, 6 November 2015, RCA Issue 774, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/564c3ead4.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Adolescents run extortion rackets and intimidate younger schoolmates.
The death of a schoolboy at the hands of his peers has highlighted the widespread nature of gang culture in Kyrgyzstan's school system.
The boy, who was in the ninth grade at a village school in Kok-Oy in the Naryn region, was knocked unconscious and later died following a brawl between pupils from his year and those in the 11th grade.
Police have taken one of the older boys into custody as the principal suspect, although the victim's mother believes several others were also involved.
Bullying and extortion are endemic in the schools, and nowadays often takes the harder-to-spot form of forcing others to buy something or top up mobile phone, rather than demanding hard cash.
It is a longstanding problem. Back in 2009, IWPR reported on a case where a pupil's death led to a trial which focused public attention on the issue. (See Adolescent Crime Blights Kyrgyz Schools.)
Mirlan Kadyrov is a journalist in Kyrgyzstan.
