Most teachers not trained to deal with bullying cases

KUALA LUMPUR: Most teachers are not trained to deal with bullying cases.

Though there are counsellors who detect and deter such cases in some schools, their numbers are negligible.

Teachers, when contacted, said a lot needed to be done to curb bullying among students.

A primary school teacher here said bullying was mentioned in passing during his training, but there was no module on how to deal with it.

“In my training, we were told bullying would be among things that we would encounter on the job,” said the teacher, who identified himself only as Min.

Weng, a secondary school teacher, said bullying cases varied from physical, emotional and those committed via social media, or cyber-bullying.

He said most teachers turned to their disciplinary teachers or parents of those involved, victims or culprits, for help.

“That would be the norm when we come across bullying cases,” he said, adding that counsellors would be roped in if they were available.

Reports on bullying cases would also be forwarded to the Education Department as a form of record, Weng said.

More than 14,000 bullying cases, mostly physical bullying, were recorded between 2012 and 2015 said the Education Ministry.

Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim had called for a zero-tolerance policy on bullying.

“Any form of juvenile behaviour must be dealt with in a serious manner.

“Students must be made to understand what constitutes bullying.”

Two deaths that involved bullies have gripped the nation the last two weeks.

The first was the death of National Defence University of Malaysia naval cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, 21.

This was followed by T. Nhaveen, who died after being attacked by former schoolmates in Penang.

He was only 18.