KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has introduced two guidelines for handling misconduct, specifically addressing bullying and sexual harassment, which are expected to become essential components in establishing a secure school environment.
However, experts believe the effectiveness of these guidelines depends on the extent to which these measures are implemented, which requires cooperation and commitment from all parties to ensure successful implementation and better protection for students.
An expert in criminology at the Centre for Applied Psychology, Policy, and Social Work Studies (SAPSP), Universiti Utara Malaysia, Dr Zalmizy Hussin said the guidelines were created to establish a safer environment, raise awareness about bullying and sexual harassment issues, as well as provide guidance to school authorities on how to manage these situations when they occur.
He expressed the importance of a holistic approach in addressing bullying and sexual harassment issues, including awareness, psychosocial support for victims and perpetrators, as well as legal enforcement when necessary.
“It’s important to remember that these guidelines work best when followed strictly. Furthermore, addressing bullying and sexual harassment requires cooperation from everyone, including students, teachers, parents, and the local community.
“Spreading awareness about these issues is essential for preventing bullying and sexual harassment in educational environments. Therefore, while guidelines hold significance, they should be integrated into a more extensive and all-encompassing strategy to address these issues,“ he said to Bernama.
On Sept 22, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said both guidelines are important to continue advocacy sessions at all levels, ensuring awareness, responsibility, and awareness of related issues enabling collective efforts to address them effectively.
According to Fadhlina, the implementation of these guidelines, including various components, will be detailed through a circular to be issued by MOE to all educational institutions.
However, Zalmizy said these guidelines cannot be a sole solution and require support from various other measures to ensure efficient implementation, including raising awareness, action guidelines, victim protection, and law enforcement.
Meanwhile, a senior lecturer at the Centre of Education and Diversity, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Dr Anuar Ahmad welcomed this initiative and hoped the guidelines could be standardised across all levels.
Describing this move as a good, appropriate, and necessary measure, he said most developed countries have implemented and applied such guidelines, which are seen as effective in curbing issues such as bullying, and sexual harassment.
“We hope that these guidelines will increase our awareness and sensitivity regarding bullying and sexual harassment. We expect everyone to recognise that bullying is harmful, and sexual harassment is a crime that must be eliminated, not a challenge we should face in the future.
“We hope these guidelines can be used effectively by everyone to ensure that bullying and sexual harassment issues can be curbed,“ he added.
Anuar said everyone also needs to be aware and clearly understand the content of these guidelines so that any actions and behaviours leading to the risk of bullying and sexual harassment can be addressed early.
“I believe it’s better to prevent these issues from happening rather than dealing with them afterwards. So, in my view, these guidelines are documents designed to prevent incidents of bullying and sexual harassment in schools,“ he added. -Bernama
