The recent reports of violence in schools have struck at the core of the country’s foundations.
The public has never been made aware of such cruelty in the young.
The response from regulators revealed that a festering problem has been hidden, ignored, and even condoned.
Rape has often been a matter of stigma for the victim rather than the perpetrator.
Violence in the home has been considered a private affair.
Turning of the head and closing of the eyes have occurred despite data indicative of the seriousness of the problem.
Violence and poor health
Violence is a risk factor for poor health.
The physical and mental effects of violence, particularly against females, are many and profound with both short- and long-term impacts.
The long-term effects result from increased risk of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions, sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS, and low-birthweight babies.
In addition, there are long-term effects from trauma-related responses and chronic stress.
There is evidence that females exposed to violence make more use of health services than non-abused females, even years after the violence has ended.
There is also data that violence against women and girls is a barrier to their societal participation, with impacts on their socioeconomic development.
Tackling school violence
All violence, regardless of whom it is done on, is a serious human rights and public health concern.
Men and boys are at risk of different forms of violence from women and girls, all of which have substantial public health tolls.
The actions that address school violence include, among others, the following:
Leadership needs to be demonstrated by public condemnation of violence, particularly against women and girls, and advocating for gender equality.
National action plans that include specific operational actions, budgets and measurable targets for each institutional sector need to be developed, made publicly available and monitored.
Actions that challenge discriminatory attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls need to be supported.
Behaviours that need to be challenged include explicit and tacit approval of violence against women and girls, male control of female behaviour, and masculinity constructs that encourage male violence.
Interventions to change social norms that perpetuate gender inequality, including violence against women and girls, need to be supported.
Individual risk factors, such as exposure to violence during childhood, and substance and social media abuse, need to be addressed.
Co-operation with the media to promote non-acceptability of violence, particularly against women and girls, and supportive, non-judgemental and empathetic attitudes towards those experiencing violence, needs to be fostered.
Awareness among healthcare providers, policymakers, managers and the public of the prevalence and health burden of violence, particularly against women and children, and the importance of prevention, needs to be increased.
Violence, particularly against women and girls, needs to be addressed in relevant health initiatives, including those related to sexual and reproductive, adolescent, maternal, child, and mental health; STIs, including HIV prevention; and programmes for the prevention of substance and social media abuse.
Up-to-date data collection, analysis and reporting of all forms of school violence should be a national requirement.
Violence prevention research and programme assessments need to be invested in.
Parental expectations
Children spend a considerable amount of time in school.
All parents expect that schools will instil in them positive values like discipline, responsibility, accountability, respect, humility, hard work, teamwork etc from an early age.
It is just as important that they be taught how to distinguish positive from negative values and actions like disrespect, smoking, substance abuse, social media abuse, gangsterism etc, which some children may have acquired at home.
Parents expect schools to have standard operating procedures (SOPs) that ensure their children’s safety at all times and that teachers treat their students the same as their own children.
Parents also expect schools to motivate their children to work hard and develop to their fullest potential.
Whither past reports?
The Education Ministry’s vision is “Quality Education, Educated Individuals, Prosper-ous Nation”, and its mission, “Upholding a quality education system that develops individuals to their full potential and fulfills the aspirations of the nation”.
Data from the ministry’s Student Discipline System provide an indicator of the scale of the problem in schools.
There were 3,833 reports of bullying in 2022, 6,528 in 2023 and 7,681 in 2024.
Of these, 3,064, 5,418 and 5,689 reports were from secondary schools in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively, showing that even pupils in primary school have joined in the act!
The number of reports in 2024 was double that of 2022.
The reports do not reflect the true prevalence as many cases are not reported.
What happened to the reports?
Were violent crimes reported, and if not, why were they omitted?
Were the reports analysed?
What were the opportunities in school for bullying and violence?
Were there SOPs to prevent bullying and violence?
To what extent was weak supervision contributory?
Were the results of the analysis of the reports utilised in decision-making? Or were the reports just filed away?
There have been many media reports that parents of all ethnicities send their children to Chinese medium schools because they value the discipline standards in these schools.
Did the reports of bullying corroborate this perception?
The public deserve answers.
The statement by British charity Clinical Human Factors Group in Patient Safety chair Martin Bromiley is relevant for decision-makers at all levels.
He said: “Think about this: ‘Am I creating the right conditions for people to speak up to me?
"'Am I reacting to people in a way that tells them I want to hear what they have to say?’
“Remember it’s what’s right – not who’s right – that counts.
“By all means be decisive – be a leader, push and challenge those around you – but make sure you listen and acknowledge people, and never frighten or devalue those around you.
“You’ll have already lost the respect of those same people, and your situational awareness will never be complete again.”
The statements attributed to the Education Minister about the recent reports of school violence were inadequate and devoid of empathy for the victims.
The numerous uncomplimentary responses of the public are reflective of a developing trust deficit in the education system.
Prior to rolling out any new measures, the Education Ministry should reform itself by appointing leaders with integrity; enforce zero tolerance for violence and corruption; reward teachers for performance only, not irrelevant factors; and most importantly, set an example at the top.
Our children, on whom the country’s future depends, deserve better.
Dr Milton Lum is a past president of the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associa-tions and the Malaysian Medical Association. For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The views expressed do not represent that of organisations that the writer is associated with. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
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