JOHOR BARU: Amid rising awareness about bullying and sexual misconduct in schools, students here are urging their peers to look out for one another.
SMK Tun Aminah student Teh Yong Chang, 17, said this is important, as some students may feel afraid or uncomfortable talking to adults about their school problems.
“It is usual for teenagers and children to feel more comfortable opening up to their friends instead of parents or teachers.
“This is especially true for introverted students, who are usually the target of bullies.
“So, I think other than the efforts by the Education Ministry, we as students should also look out for each other. Take note of changes we see in our friends and alert an adult if we are aware of any bullying cases, including cyberbullying,” he said in an interview.
Yong Chang said he welcomed the Education Ministry’s plan to address bullying and sexual misconduct in schools.
“I think it is important to continuously push for more awareness of such crucial issues, as they can affect a person for their whole life,” he said.
He also lauded the ministry’s move to launch a bullying complaint portal to monitor such cases.
“I think this is very important, especially as we have been hearing more about cyberbullying.
“Some students may not want their parents or teachers to go through their social media accounts and may choose to stay silent if they are being bullied online.
“With the portal, they or their friends can at least take the first step to intervene,” he added.
SMK Taman Mutiara Rini 2 student S. Thivya Dharshini, 16, said it is equally important to address bullying cases both in schools and online.
“The rising use of technology, especially now that artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining popularity, could also lead to more cyberbullying. Although cyberbullying usually occurs outside of school grounds, schools should also be alert to such cases,” she said.
She suggested that schools conduct more programmes that include students from all classes.
“Instead of conducting programmes based on our batch or classes, we need to have more programmes involving everyone.This will allow us to get to know each other better and help close the senior-junior gap,” she said.
Thivya also highlighted the need to increase awareness of sexual misconduct in schools to prevent students from suffering in silence.
“While many may think that children these days are more aware of such issues, that may not be the case in some places. I feel that there are still a lot of students who are unaware of what constitutes sexual misconduct,” she said.
Another student from the school, Cheng Kai Neng, 17, said it is important to raise awareness of bullying continuously.
“The Education Ministry is moving in the right direction by pushing for more awareness.
“The more students know, the less likely they are to bully others or become victims of bullying.
“I also believe it is important to provide as many resources as possible for bullying victims to seek help, including a box where they can lodge complaints anonymously,” he said.
On Sunday, the Education Ministry announced plans to eradicate bullying and sexual misconduct in schools by strengthening prevention measures, raising awareness and managing these issues more effectively.
