Time to get tough, very tough with school bullies

‘The only way to stop a bully – or to keep a child from becoming a target – is to build the defence where it matters most: at home.’ – Moaz Nair, FMT reader.

With the worsening problem of bullying in our schools, I wish to state this in the strongest possible terms. We must get tough with bullies – not merely tough, but very tough.

We must act decisively and urgently to curb what has become an alarming threat to the safety and wellbeing of our children. We simply cannot go on like this.

The figures alone should make us sit up. Education Ministry data recorded 5,703 students involved in bullying cases up to October 2024, compared with 5,891 in 2023 and 3,887 in 2022. These are not just statistics. Behind every case is a victim, a family, a school and, potentially, a child whose life can be scarred permanently.

And now the problem has reached an even more frightening level. Following the death of 14-year-old Muhammad Idlan Fareeq Shahril at a school hostel in Kuala Pilah, a 16-year-old student was remanded and the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

Police have cautioned against speculation while investigations continue, so we must not prejudge the circumstances or the eventual findings. But the incident is nevertheless a grim reminder of how seriously we must treat violence among students.

So the questions must be asked. Why have all the disciplinary measures already introduced in our schools failed to stop bullying? Have the Education Ministry, school authorities and PTAs run out of ideas?

Education Minister Datuk Fadhlina Sidek has pointed out that many measures proposed recently – tighter supervision, anonymous reporting, more CCTV and early intervention – are already in place.

The ministry has also expanded hostel supervision and is extending CCTV coverage. Fair enough. But if these measures are already in place, the obvious question is whether they are being implemented effectively and consistently.

Having rules is one thing. Enforcing them is another. If the existing system is not working, then it is time to think outside the box.

I support the concerns raised by both letter writers in a national news portal referred to here. Moaz Nair is right to remind us that the battle against bullying cannot end at the school gate. Parents have an enormous responsibility to know what is happening to their children and to recognise warning signs early. Family circumstances, peer influence and emotional neglect can contribute to behavioural problems, although we should be careful not to assume that every bully comes from a dysfunctional home.

I also agree with Jamaluddin Aziz that banning films and dramas depicting bullying is not a substitute for dealing with the real problem. We need evidence, research and a better understanding of why children bully, how peer groups encourage such behaviour and why victims and bystanders sometimes remain silent.

But research must be accompanied by action.

One possibility is to establish specialist anti-bullying teams involving teachers, counsellors, parents, child-protection specialists and, where necessary, the police. Police involvement should not mean turning every school into a police station. Rather, schools with serious or repeated violence could have designated police liaison officers trained to deal appropriately with juveniles.

Overseas experience shows that school police programmes work best when roles are clearly defined and combined with counselling, conflict-resolution and other support systems rather than relying purely on punishment.

We should also consider targeted intervention for repeat offenders. Students repeatedly involved in serious bullying could be placed under intensive supervision, counselling and behavioural programmes, with their movements and conduct monitored closely.

I would even consider grouping high-risk students temporarily in specialised classes or programmes where they can receive concentrated attention – but not simply putting all troublesome youngsters together and allowing them to reinforce one another’s behaviour. The objective must be rehabilitation and control, not creating a new breeding ground for delinquency.

We can also learn from abroad. Finland’s KiVa anti-bullying programme, for example, focuses not only on the bully and victim but also on the wider peer group and school culture. UNESCO describes it as one of the most extensively researched anti-bullying programmes, with evidence of effectiveness in Finland and other countries. Research reviews likewise find that well-designed school-based anti-bullying programmes can reduce both bullying and victimisation.

We should adapt such proven ideas to Malaysian conditions rather than blindly copy them.

Finally, there have been calls for Fadhlina to step aside over her handling of school-safety concerns. Such calls are part of the public debate, and she herself acknowledged them in 2025. Whether a minister should remain in office is ultimately a political and administrative decision. But what should not be negotiable is this: the Education Ministry must demonstrate that its policies are actually protecting our children.

Enough is enough. A child should never be afraid to go to school. We cannot wait for another tragedy before we get serious. We must get tough with bullies – and we must get tough now.

The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.