A police officer teaches students how to avoid being bullied during an awareness-raising class at a middle school in Shenyang, Liaoning province. [Photo by ZHAO JINGDONG/CHINA DAILY]

Intervention

Education experts said teachers can play an important role in intervention, while Sun believes counselors should be employed on campus: "Not only for those being bullied but also the bullies themselves because they need to let the anger and hatred out."

However, few schools hire counselors and many of those that are employed are not professionals, she added.

Xi Leng said she hopes the government and media will focus on the issue to change the lives of bullied children.

"When I was in school, no one paid attention to such issues. They thought it was just arguments between children, but for me it was nightmare. I hope no one ever has to go through the suffering I had to endure."

Liang Shuang and Xinhua contributed to this story.