Rantaian buli bermula di rumah

Bali riots escalated at home, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive and thorough solutions, rather than endless political debates. Recent incidents of violence have proven that the issue has evolved from a typical disciplinary breach to a severe criminal threat capable of taking lives. Unfortunately, each time such a tragedy occurs, public attention tends to narrow.

It is unfair to solely blame teachers and educators, as the reality is that schools face a tremendous challenge in containing systemic aggression among the large student population across the nation. What needs to be recognized is that the root cause of this problem undoubtedly stems from the family's negligence in upbringing. Current public concern reaches a disturbing level.

The nation was shocked by a heartrending case in Kuala Pilah, where a second-year student died in a dormitory after being punched by a senior student. The situation becomes more alarming when the lifeless body of a fourteen-year-old female student is found with severe injuries at a school hall in Yong Peng, Johor, leading to the arrest of three teenage male perpetrators.

These tragic events serve as a harsh warning that an extremely brutal form of aggression is threatening our educational institutions. However, is it fair to label schools and teachers as scapegoats? Placing the responsibility of monitoring and improving the conduct of millions of students minute by minute on school management's shoulders is unrealistic.

Studies clearly indicate that aggressive, impulsive behavior, and failure to control emotions in bullies are formed by dysfunctional family environments. Ignoring emotions by parents, exposure to domestic aggression, and the issue of child abuse becoming the main catalysts. These bullies simply exploit conflicts with peers at school as a manifestation of toxic culture to demand attention that they fail to receive at home.

This situation becomes even more dire as physical aggression is now influenced by borderless digital technology. The majority of parents often report their children as victims of cyberbullying, with modes of operation including threats of online harassment, distribution of humiliating images, and public insults on social media acting as constant psychological torment.

This damages the mental stability of the victim. When emotional turmoil is not controlled, it not only pushes the victim to retaliate against weaker peers but tragically, in some cases, leads to suicide due to overwhelming helplessness. To ensure this crisis is handled comprehensively, conventional approaches are no longer sufficient.

The government and relevant ministry must strengthen reform policies and more holistic legislation, including Parental Liability (ensuring legal action or heavy fines against parents who neglect their children severely leading them to commit violent crimes), Zero-Tolerance Policy Standards (mandatory suspension or expulsion of severe bullies at the Malaysian Ministry of Education level without political compromise or protection of institutional reputation), and Standardizing Cyber Safety Reporting Systems (integrating school bullying reporting systems with Malaysia Police Department (PDRM) and Welfare Department (JKM) to ensure no hidden criminal cases at the grassroots level escape scrutiny).

Only family units can play a crucial role in breaking the chain of systemic aggression. Parents bear the absolute obligation to instill emotional resilience and discipline in their children to prevent them from becoming either perpetrators or victims of violent crimes. The best defense for our children does not begin at the school gate; it starts at home.