IN conjunction with United Nations World Children’s Day, celebrated annually on Nov 20, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rightly acknowledges the “enormous challenges children face in our deeply divided, tumultuous and often violent world”.
In the local context, in terms of improving our children’s welfare, Malaysia needs prompt and strong reforms to address current issues such as bullying.
Research shows that bullying is a major concern for Malaysian children, with seven out of 10 expressing fear of becoming victims. Therefore, it is an issue that must not be ignored.
Bullying calls for an effective proactive approach from all stakeholders. For example, school principals and teachers should receive training to spot and deal with bullying issues. Parents and caregivers also should closely monitor their children and serve as good role models of reasonable behaviour.
Our education system should not focus solely on IQ or academic results but also on developing emotional intelligence (EQ).
EQ is a critical social skill that is needed to engage effectively with others. Learning EQ from a young age is highly beneficial as its positive influence can help reduce bullying in schools, homes, workplaces and throughout the broader community.
In today’s 24/7 social media world, online cyberbullying can, and does, have a severe impact on victims’ mental health, often creating a vicious cycle that affects many. Indirectly, it also harms loved ones and caregivers.
Research has shown that young people who are victims of bullying are more likely to become bullies themselves.
Perhaps, as has been considered in other countries, it is time for Malaysia to seriously consider restricting access to social media platforms for children under 16 years old.
For example, the Australian government has argued that setting the minimum age at 16 is based on extensive consultations with experts, parents and young people.
Crucially, this approach aims to “minimise the harms experienced by young people during a critical period of development”.
