Three Chinese students are accused of kidnapping and torturing a peer in Los Angeles area in the United States. [Photo: CCTV NEWS]

Debate has been re-ignited in China about violence among young people in connection with a case in the United States involving a group of young Chinese nationals in the Los Angeles area.

Three Chinese students, who are now 19-years old, are facing between 6 and 13 years behind bars after pleading guilty to kidnapping and aggravated assault charges.

Previous charges of torture, which could have carried a sentence of life in prison, have been dropped as part of the plea bargain.

The formal sentencing is set to take place next month.

All three were high school students in the greater Los Angeles area, and have admitted to assaulting another Chinese student with lit cigarettes, stripping her naked and kicked with high-heel shoes.

The assault itself is said to have been connected to a rivalry between the victim and one of the girls now set to be sent to prison.

Back here in China, an online survey conducted by China Central Television shows 96 percent of the close to 18-thousand respondents approve of the sentencing recommendations being handed down by US prosecutors.

Yao Jianlong with the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law says the case in LA has gained a lot of attention in China.

"Such cases in our country are not uncommon. However, few offenders receive harsh penalties due to their ages. In similar cases in China, most are either under the minimum age for criminal responsibility, or their actions didn't result in severe consequences."

The case itself has also brought about discussion about bullying in Chinese schools.

A recent report from the China Youth & Children Research Center suggests around one-third of students in primary and middle schools in China have been the subject of bullying by their schoolmates.

Six out of every 100 students claims they are the subject of consistent bullying or abuse.

Under Chinese law, children under the age of 14 can't be prosecuted.

Anyone convicted of crimes between the ages of 14 and 17 are prosecuted under juvenile statues, which generally means a lighter-than-normal punishment, even for extreme acts, such as murder or rape.

Kang Liying with Capital Normal University in Beijing is suggesting Chinese authorities may want to revisit the current standards.

"One of the side effects of having a juvenile punishment system is that many of young offenders are aware they aren't likely to receive any criminal punishment for their acts, especially before the age of 14."

Yao Jianlong with the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law says one of the ways to deal with acts of violence among Chinese students is to make the schools accountable.

"In the US, it's compulsory for schools to report any cases of violence to police. But in China, schools here would rather deal with the situation in-house. Schools here in China aren't required to report incidents to police, and are more likely to keep incidents of violence or bullying under wraps to avoid controversy."

Yao Jianlong too says the current legal structure needs to be amended.

"No matter how old a student is, the law needs to draw a line that they can never cross. A big loophole in our laws is the lack of punishment for underage offenders. Only a significant change to the current laws can help rein in school violence."

The case in Los Angeles took place in March.

The victim girl said they beat her, stripped off her clothes and burnt her with lit cigarettes over the course of 5-hours.

The case has also generated a lot of discussion in Los Angeles about privileged Chinese nationals studying in the United States, particularly after it was revealed the father of one of the accused tried to pay hush-money to have the case go away.

All three are going to have to serve out their sentences in US prison before being sent back to China.