Banning movies on bullying won’t solve anything

Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, chairman of the Malaysian media watchdog Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, called for the ban or restriction of films and dramas depicting bullying. However, this knee-jerk reaction to deep-rooted societal issues overlooks the fact that censorship does not address the root causes of bullying. Media scholars have consistently observed that banning creative narratives does not cure the societal reflection.

The notion that media directly influences behavior - the so-called Magic Bullet Theory - was debunked by empirical research decades ago. The modern media landscape is decentralized and personalized, with audiences acting as both consumers and creators. This shift means that banning a movie is an unsuitable policy response, as it presumes a direct causal link that does not exist.

To truly understand and address bullying, we must look beyond the screen and examine the psychological mechanisms behind peer pressure and systemic failures within educational and familial institutions. Instead of relying on censorship, we need substantial research grants to conduct qualitative studies on youth deviance and bullying, including interviews with perpetrators, victims, and bystanders.

By funding these studies, we can develop effective solutions rather than relying on temporary curtains of censorship.