From Lydia Lee
For too many Malaysian children, school is not a place of safety but of fear. Behind classroom doors, bullying takes the form of insults, exclusion, violence – and, increasingly, cyberbullying that follows children home.
This is not harmless mischief. It is a child protection crisis.
Bullying cases are rising fast. Data from the education ministry shows there were 3,883 cases in 2022; 4,994 by October 2023; and 6,208 by October 2024.
Online, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission received 3,199 cyberbullying complaints in 2023 and removed 8,756 harmful posts in 2024 – five times more than the year before.
The impact is devastating: bullying has been linked to depression, anxiety, school dropouts, and suicidal thoughts. Not just the victims, but children who bully or witness it are also affected, normalising aggression as power.
Left unchecked, bullying corrodes not just schools but Malaysia’s social fabric.
The government has taken steps: awareness campaigns, monitoring systems, and revised discipline rules. NGOs and communities run peer support groups and hotlines. But responses remain fragmented and reactive.
Schools tend to punish after harm is done, while subtle bullying – body shaming, exclusion, online harassment – goes unnoticed. Cyberbullying spreads faster than schools or parents can respond. Many victims stay silent, believing nothing will change.
Malaysia needs coordinated, whole-of-society solutions:
- Safer schools: Trained teachers who can spot hidden bullying and embed social-emotional learning, positive discipline, and peer inclusion.
- Child-friendly reporting: Confidential hotlines and digital channels with guaranteed follow-up.
- Mental health support: More counsellors in schools – linked with community services – to support victims, perpetrators and bystanders alike.
- Cyberbullying management: Mandatory digital-citizenship lessons to foster greater accountability among social media users.
- Stronger families: Parents should be equipped to spot early signs of bullying, like mood swings or reluctance to go to school. Support programmes can help families raise emotionally resilient, well-rounded children who are empathetic and respectful.
- Clearer policies: Define bullying and cyberbullying explicitly, and set national standards for school responses and victim protection.
Safe childhoods are the foundation of a healthy nation. When bullying is tolerated, cruelty becomes normal; when empathy and respect are taught, children grow into resilient leaders and neighbours Malaysia needs.
This is not a job for schools alone: policymakers, educators, parents, communities, and tech companies all have a role. The solutions exist – what is missing is urgency.
Lydia Lee is the manager for programmes and grants at World Vision Malaysia.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.