In order to find out about the status of university students, the Pharos conducted a survey with students from Kyonggi University. As many as 78 percent of the respondents said they had experienced a power trip and 45% of respondents answered that they had been bullied during a part-time job. The number of students who answered they have experienced injustice in school also accounts for 26 percent of the total cases, confirming that the cases of part-time work and schoolrelated bullying are the most common among university students. Most of the respondents who had suffered during a part time job said that they had experienced late payment of wages and condescension from the boss and customers.

 When we looked into the more specific examples of power trips during part-time jobs that a number of students had experienced, we found that the main performers were usually the customer or the boss. Examples of customers' abuse include informal language, rude behavior, outrageous demands and even sexual harassment. Also, the cases in which students suffered from the behavior of a boss were not only that the person forced people to work by threatening them with neglect, suddenly overdue wages, and the threat of dismissal, but also firing those who claimed to be guaranteed benefits such as a state vacation allowance and a labor contract.

 Some people who responded that they have experienced school-related difficulties said that the pressure of senior students and some faculty members who make students feel inferior while asking questions are the most common cases that they experienced of people on power trips. In addition, And even the school system itself, which does not allow all students to sign up for the classes that they want, is also unjust.

 While not included or not significant in the survey, housing and internship problems cannot be excluded from the power trip cases that university students experience a lot. Regarding residence, especially undergraduates often find themselves in a disadvantageous position. They can be harmed by the nonfulfillment of a contract, a poor heating system, and even trespassers who enter the house without permission in the name of the landlord. However, since there are a limited number of studio units and there are many students who want to move into those studios for the new semester, they cannot say anything even if they are subjected to the extreme tyranny of their owners. Futhermore, as they are generally not knowledgeable about laws, students are often hampered in their decisions by a lack of legal knowledge. Next, the problems affections university interns are becoming increasingly common these days as university students often work as interns because university students with a lot of practical experience are favored by employers. The violation of labor standards and the minimum wage law, and sexual violence are the representative examples. These are situations are experienced by many university students who want to gain experience for employment because some companies treat interns poorly, saying that there are many people who want to work for the company regardless of the treatment they receive.

 To find out the intrinsic cause of the problem, we asked the students what they think is the reason power trips cannot be eliminated. Almost the same percentage of students said they consider the personality of the assailants and the hierarchy of society as the main causes of it. Those who responded that it is a problem caused by the assailants’ personalities said the assailants seem to feel a power trip is not a problem because he or she lacks related education. Most of the respondents who said that the social structure is the problem responded that the vertical social structure inherited from the past encouraged power-tripping.

 There were more respondents who chose the social structural cause, but the difference was not that great. This tells us that the cause of the power trip cannot be distinguished as only an individual or a social issue, but rather that the two factors combine to cause power trips. According to our analysis the causes of the power trip are the bad habits created by following the vertical social structure of the past, the attitudes of people who deal with others within the hierarchy and the absence of laws or systems for protecting the victim.

 Then what are the fundamental solutions to this problem? First of all, personal perceptions need to be changed. It is hard to change a person who has already lived without morality for years through efforts to improve their perception such as campaigns, but one should think consciously about whether even one's unintentional actions hurt the other person and actively try to change oneself. It is also important to recognize that everyone is equal through continuous education. In addition, the government should prepare laws and systems to protect people who suffer from power trips, and organizations that support the position of the weak should voice their opinions so that the government can make fundamental solutions.

 In order to eradicate the culture of the power trip, all of us have to think and try to effect positive change. Especially university students, who often are victimized because of their uncertain futures, easily become frustrated when they experience a power trip. We must try hard for youths and new entrants to the work force who are trying to realize their dreams so that they can have the perception that they are not weak in society and everyone is equal. We urge people not only to change individual perception but also to change the social mood so that the negative aspects of past society are not handed down to them.

 

70th Cub Reporter NOH SEOKHO

70th Cub Reporter CHOI SOYEON