Confront bullying early, consistently and seriously

Photo staged by models/The Star

THE recent spate of high-profile bullying cases in Malaysian schools has once again raised urgent concerns about the safety and well-being of our students. While disciplinary actions are being taken, it is clear that punitive measures alone are not enough.

Bullying is not a behaviour that suddenly emerges in adolescence. It often starts much earlier, sometimes as early as preschool or kindergarten. We see it when children exclude others from play, refuse to share, or reject a peer from a group activity. What begins as seemingly minor social exclusion can take deeper root over time, manifesting later as verbal abuse in secondary school. And this potentially develops as toxic behaviour in workplaces decades later.