A video of a violent case of bully from 2003 has resurfaced and gone viral - here's what happened

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By Ben Pang
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Even if it's not TBT, some things resurface on the web long after they happened, like this video

By Ben Pang |
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A 2003 video of one boy being bullied by a group of his peers at De La Salle College, Sheung Shui has recently gone viral. 

The incidents happened in December 2003, when a group of students used chairs and tables to attack a boy. At the time the case was big news.

Young Post contacted De La Salle College headmaster Ku Wing-hong to find out the facts behind the video, and what’s changed at the school to prevent this kind of thing happening again.

Ku said he had been answering calls from media all day. “It happened 12 years ago," he said, "and I have given all possible answers to the media,” 

The case was reported to the police at the time, and social workers took care of the victim, giving him counselling and support with his schoolwork.

Eight students were punished, and some served time in a detention centre, a sort of short-term juvenile jail. The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and social workers followed their cases and also provided them with support needed to fix their lives. Most of them adapted to their new lives and went back to their studies. 

After the bullying issue, Ku said, the school took steps to ensure it didn’t happen again: a School Crisis Management group was set up to provide sufficient support to affected students, parents and teachers after any sort of crisis. All staff were trained at the Centre for Restoration of Human Relationships to strengthen their counselling, problem-solving and crisis management skills.

The school often uses this case for training at staff development workshops, Ku says. “The key to dealing with problems like this is teamwork. The whole team, including principals, teachers, alumni and parents work together whenever problems occur.

If you or someone you know is being bullied, act! Tell an adult 

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