Scrap notion bullying is good for bonding in schools - police
18 Aug 2022 05:29pm
Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad - Bernama Photo
He said this culture of orientation has been passed on in school or university through generations whereby senior students often force juniors to follow a rite of passage to earn their respect as newcomers.
"Often, cases of bullying that happen in the dormitory involve senior and junior students. Seniors exert that they need to be respected because they have been there longer and some profess that it is one way of bonding.
"That's right, this culture of bullying has been around for a long time, but the way it used to be (for previous generations) is different now. The current way of bullying involves criminal elements that cause injuries and disabilities and that should not be happening," he said after launching the 'Sekolahku Sejahtera' programme as well as the 'Bullying Complaint Portal' at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Dato’ Wan Kemara hall here today.
He said, apart from a bullying culture, there are many other ways of orientation to foster ties between senior and junior students.
In the meantime, Wan Hassan hoped that parents and students can use the portal to report any cases of bullying so that immediate action can be taken either at the ministry or police level.
"In the last two years, four cases of bullying were reported and so far this year there has only been one case in Kedah. This bullying actually happens everywhere but is unreported when the school and parents do not want to escalate the situation and resolve it themselves.
"So, with this portal they can continue to report any cases of bullying but I hope there will be less and if possible, no more cases of bullying in Kedah after this," he said.
On Aug 13, Senior Minister of Education Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin announced that the Ministry of Education (MOE) will set up a bullying complaint portal to combat the wayward culture in schools. - BERNAMA
