War on bullying starts at home

Bullying has become a pervasive issue in schools, with over 5.4 million students nationwide experiencing systemic violence in 2024. Unicef reports that at least one in three children aged 13 to 15 worldwide face daily torment from bullying. The crisis has escalated to fatal levels, as seen in a tragic incident in Kuala Pilah where a 16-year-old boy was suspected of murdering a 14-year-old student at a school hostel.

However, the blame lies not with teachers, headteachers, or university chancellors, but with the families who failed to raise emotionally resilient children.

Bullying is not a rite of passage; it is psychological warfare that leaves permanent scars, causing severe anxiety, stress, and depression. In extreme cases, it drives children to suicide. The root of this problem lies within dysfunctional families, where broken domestic environments foster hostility, impulsivity, and anxiety. When homes fail to teach conflict resolution, children grow up projecting their rage onto peers.

The digital frontier has exacerbated the issue, with 23% of Malaysian parents reporting their children as victims of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a relentless 24/7 campaign of terror that destroys a child's sanity and can lead to attempted suicide. The defense, therefore, must start at home. Parents hold the ultimate power and obligation to cultivate emotional resilience and boundaries in their children, preventing them from becoming bullies or targets.