Many people are given nicknames. Sometimes, a nickname can be a sign of affection, but at other times being given a name isn’t fun at all. In fact, it’s a nightmare.

许多人都有绰号。绰号有时是亲昵的一种体现，但有时被起绰号却一点也不好玩。事实上，简直就是一场噩梦。

In November, the Department of Education and other government departments in Guangdong province released new school guidelines. The guidelines include insulting nicknames as a form of bullying¹ at school.

今年11月，广东省教育厅等多部门联合印发《加强中小学生欺凌综合治理方案的实施办法（试行）》（以下简称《实施办法》）。《实施办法》将“起侮辱性绰号”纳入校园欺凌的范畴。

The guidelines will take effect on Dec 1. They will be applied² in all primary, secondary and vocational schools in Guangdong. There will be punishments for those who break the rules, including expulsion.

该《实施办法》自12月1日起生效，适用于广东省所有中小学校以及职业学校。违反规定者将面临包括开除在内的处分。

Many people give their full support to the guidelines.

这份《实施办法》获得了广泛支持。

“Many of my classmates have been given insulting nicknames. It really hurt them, causing mental problems. This is why I think dealing³ with insulting nicknames is really important,” Shen Sijia, from the Second High School Affiliated⁴ to Beijing Normal University, told TEENS.

“我有不少同学都有侮辱性绰号。这真的让他们很难受，还导致了一些心理问题。所以我认为解决侮辱性绰号这一问题很有必要，”来自北京师范大学第二附属中学的申思嘉在接受本报采访时表示。

Chen Junliang, mother of a fifth-grader, told China Daily that the rules could help to make a positive study environment for students.

一名五年级学生的家长陈君良（音译）在接受《中国日报》采访时表示，新规有助于为学生们创造一个积极的学习环境。

School bullying is not rare in China. According to the Supreme⁵ People’s Court’s China Justice Big Data Service Platform, Chinese courts heard almost 800 cases of school violence in 2017. Almost half of them involved students aged between 16 and 18.

校园欺凌在国内并不少见。据最高人民法院下属的中国司法大数据服务网显示，2017年，全国各级人民法院审结校园暴力案件约800件，其中近一半涉及16-18岁的学生。

To deal with school bullying, the State Council’s Education Supervision⁶ Committee started an anti-bullying campaign in April. Schools have been asked to begin at least one educational campaign against bullying every semester. The aim is to improve anti-bullying knowledge and skills among students.

针对校园欺凌现象，国务院教育督导委员会于今年4月展开了欺凌防治行动。通知要求，学校每学期至少开展一次学生欺凌专题教育，普及防治学生欺凌知识和反欺凌技能。

Sadly there is bullying at school all over the world. About half of students between the ages of 13 and 15 worldwide, or 150 million of them, have been bullied⁷ in and around school.

遗憾的是，世界各地都存在着校园欺凌现象。在全球13-15岁的学生中，约有一半（1.5亿人）都曾在校内或者学校周边遭受欺凌。

“Every day, students face [many] dangers, including fighting, pressure to join gangs, bullying,” said Henrietta Fore⁸, executive director of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, according to the organization’s official website.

“每天学生们都面临着（诸多）危险，如斗殴、被小团体施压、遭受欺凌等，”联合国国际儿童紧急救援基金会执行主任亨丽埃塔·福尔在该组织官网上如此表示。

“Violence is an unforgettable lesson that no child needs to learn,” Fore said.

“没有孩子需要接触暴力这一难忘的一课，”福尔说道。

To deal with the problem, many countries have taken action. In the United States, all the 50 states have their own anti-bullying laws, according to CBS News.

针对这一问题，许多国家都采取了行动。据哥伦比亚广播公司新闻报道，美国50个州都有各自的一套反欺凌法律。

Many US anti-bullying laws say that bullying is not only direct physical contact like hitting, but also verbal attacks such as name-calling.

不少美国反欺凌法律都规定，欺凌不光是殴打等直接的身体接触，还包括了辱骂等言语攻击。

In Japan, the government passed an anti-bullying law in 2013. It asks each school to come up with a basic policy to stop bullying. The law also asks schools to set up an organization to deal with the problem.

2013年，日本政府通过了一项反欺凌法案。该法案要求各学校制定基本政策阻止欺凌，并要求学校设立相应机构应对这一问题。