[Cartoon by Li Feng/China Daily]

BEIJING -- China's education authorities have launched a campaign to curb school bullying.

The campaign will last until December and targets elementary, middle and secondary vocational schools nationwide, according to a circular issued by the education supervision committee under the State Council, China's cabinet.

The campaign will focus on legal and mental health education for students. Police and judicial staff will be invited to schools, sources with the Ministry of Education said Monday.

The circular defines bullying as physical or verbal abuse, or abuse online.

Schools are asked to improve measures for preventing and handling bullying and establish an emergency plan for serious incidents.

They should operate a hotline for reporting of bullying, report to police any cases involving crimes.

There have been frequent media reports on school bullying in recent years. In late April, a video went viral showing a schoolgirl being slapped more than 30 times by a group of older girls. Police detained some of the perpetrators.

Last year, a boy in a junior high school jumped from the fourth floor of a teaching building in a suicide attempt as he "just could not tolerate a life of being bullied everyday any longer," according to China Central Television.

(Xinhua)