Detecting Bullying Incidents and Strengthening Reporting Channels in view of Smartphone Usage Restrictions in Schools

Mr Gabriel Lam asked the Minister for Education given the restriction on smartphone usage in schools (a) what measures are in place to detect bullying incidents that may no longer be captured through student-taken videos; (b) in the past five years, how many bullying cases were substantiated through student-provided videos; and (c) whether the Ministry will strengthen reporting channels or publish comparative bullying data before and after restricting smartphone usage.

As mentioned in an earlier reply on 23 September 2025, schools have various measures to detect bullying incidents, such as self-reporting, peer reporting and teacher observations. Reporting channels for students include online platforms, such as emails or online forms and during regular check-in conversations with their teachers. When bullying is reported, school personnel use information gathered from different sources during the fact-finding process. These sources include visible marks on the body, eyewitness testimony and students' written accounts. These are not affected by the restriction of smartphone use in schools.

As student-taken or student-provided videos can provide a one-sided account from a particular perspective, they are not taken as the sole form of evidence. The Ministry of Education does not track the number of bullying cases which were reported via student-provided videos.