Chinese School Fined After Student Suffers Mental Breakdown From Horror Film
By ANITA KNIGHT
A court in China has ordered a school to compensate a family after their teenage daughter developed a temporary psychotic disorder allegedly triggered by a horror movie shown in class.
The incident, which occurred in Hangzhou, Guangxi Province, dates back to October 2023 when a teacher on leave left students under substitute supervision. In her absence, the class reportedly watched a horror film, the title of which has not been disclosed.
Later that evening, one of the students began displaying erratic behaviour — incoherence, confusion, and detachment from reality. Alarmed, her parents took her to a hospital, where doctors diagnosed acute and transient psychotic disorder, a short-term mental illness often brought on by extreme fear or stress.
Claiming the film triggered the episode, the girl’s parents sued the school for $42,000, accusing it of negligence and failure to provide proper supervision. Medical reports confirmed that neither the girl nor her family had any history of mental illness.
The school, however, denied full responsibility, arguing that the episode might have stemmed from the student’s “personal constitution” or a pre-existing vulnerability, and accepted only 10 per cent liability.
After months of legal proceedings, the court ruled that the school was 30 per cent responsible for the incident, citing negligence in classroom oversight. It ordered the institution to pay 9,182 yuan ($1,300) in compensation through insurance.
The case has sparked debate on Chinese social media, with many arguing that the school should have exercised tighter control, while others noted that the girl’s condition was temporary and treatable.
Experts say acute and transient psychotic disorder can affect even healthy individuals, particularly when exposed to intense emotional stress or fear.
