NST Leader: No end to bullying

New Straits Times

2 days ago

BULLYING is, sadly, a universal phenomenon as old as the dawn of history. It's why Neanderthals vanished 40,000 to 45,000 years ago, harried out of existence by the more aggressive Homo sapiens. From there on, from tribal clashes of nomads to hunter gatherers to the great civilisations of antiquity, all were founded on invasions and wars — prime bullying methods.
Brutalising others without consequences is why international conflicts, like what is unfolding in Palestine and Ukraine, continue without end.
In the modern day, bullying has entered the online and psychological realms through cyberbullying. It has evolved from the physical menace in schools, dormitories, even the office.
Victims can be driven to retaliate with lethal weapons. In America, they fire assault rifles at their tormentors.
Bullying in Malaysia remains serious among schoolchildren and university students. A study by a non-governmental organisation found that 38 per cent of respondents report having been in a bullying situation during their school years as victims, bullies or both, of physical, verbal and cyber types.
The bullied comprise 21.4 per cent while 9.4 per cent were actual bullies while 7.2 per cent were both victims and perpetrators.
Victims suffer from depression and are vulnerable to self-harm.
The death of Zara Qairina Mahathir, a Form One student from Papar, Sabah, is yet another tragic statistic. Found unconscious outside her dormitory building, Zara Qairina is suspected to have fallen from the third floor.
She was pronounced dead at the hospital and buried a day later. The ensuing national furore led to her exhumation and a forensic probe. Police have found signs of physical bullying. But this time, police are empowered under the Penal Code to arrest Zara Qairina's tormentors and haul them to justice. What went wrong here?
How do we prevent such incidents? Reinforcing awareness, preventive programmes and school mental health support are ongoing initiatives. In government hospitals, signs are everywhere warning the public to not harangue medical staff.