What the Korean TV Series “Teaching You A Lesson” Can Teach Us About Bullying Prevention
Teaching You a Lesson is a recently released Korean television series that explores challenges within the country's education system. The show opens with a disturbing storyline about severe bullying at a school that drives a student to take his own life. In response, the Ministry of Education establishes the Educational Rights Protection Bureau (ERPB), a special task force deployed to troubled schools to combat bullying and reform dysfunctional educational environments through unconventional, hardline, and physical methods.
While the series is entirely fictional, the issues it portrays are definitely not.
After watching all ten episodes in a single day, I found myself reflecting not only on the story, but also on the realities faced by educators. Curious about whether others felt the same way, I reached out to fellow teachers and education practitioners in Indonesia. Their reactions were remarkably similar to mine - the show was triggering, uncomfortable, and surprisingly relatable.
Many of the situations depicted on screen (although often exaggerated for dramatic effect) is not at all unfamiliar. The power imbalances, the silence of bystanders, the fear of speaking up, and the frustration of educators who feel powerless to intervene are experiences that resonate far beyond South Korea. They are challenges that many schools continue to face, including here in Indonesia.
Recent reports of violence in educational settings further remind us that bullying and school safety remain pressing concerns. Yet despite growing awareness, many anti-bullying initiatives struggle to create lasting change. Schools may organize campaigns, seminars, or awareness weeks, but these efforts are often treated as isolated events rather than part of a comprehensive prevention strategy. As a result, "anti-bullying" risks becoming a slogan or jargon rather than a sustained commitment.
For me, the most important lesson from Teaching You a Lesson is not the creation of a bureau that fights aggression with aggression. Rather, it is the recognition that the most effective response to bullying is preventing it from happening in the first place.
Consider the first episode. Bullying was allowed to flourish not because of one problematic student, but because multiple parts of the system failed simultaneously. Teachers were hesitant to act. School policies were unclear or inconsistently enforced. Some parents used their influence to avoid accountability. Students learned that power could be abused with few consequences. In such an environment, bullying became not only possible but predictable.
This illustrates an important truth: bullying is rarely an individual problem. It is a systemic one.
The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" remains relevant today. Teachers need the support of parents. Parents need partnership with schools. Students need trusted adults who are equipped to respond effectively. And all of these stakeholders need clear systems, shared expectations, and evidence-based practices that guide their actions.
Creating such a system is easier said than done. Many educators understand the importance of bullying prevention but struggle with questions such as: What does an effective prevention program actually look like? How can schools move beyond awareness campaigns and develop sustainable interventions? How can research findings be translated into practical actions within schools?
These are some of the questions that will be explored in the upcoming Bullying Prevention Program Workshop organized by PT PIP Unpad in collaboration with the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Padjadjaran. Through discussions grounded in both research and practice, participants will have the opportunity to learn about evidence-based bullying prevention strategies and develop programs that are relevant to the unique needs of their educational institutions.
Because ultimately, preventing bullying is not about responding to crises after they occur. It is about building sustainable school culture where respect, safety, and belonging are integrated into everyday practice.
