MUKAH: Mukah police station chief, Sergeant Major Abdul Rahman Maerrad stated that bullying is an act of physically or mentally tormenting or intimidating a student or group of students in order to adapt to a new environment.
He said it could be interpreted as physically or mentally tormenting or intimidating a weak student to threaten or frighten them.
He shared this information during his lecture titled “Prevent Bullying Before It Gets Serious” in front of more than 150 students, teachers, and parents at the Kampung Teh National School (SK) here today.
Also present during this lecture were headmaster of SK Kampung, Ismail Hud; three members of the Mukah District Police Headquarters (IPD); senior assistant school teachers and Parents-Teachers Association chairman Jawawi Ragas.
“The types of bullying that often occur in schools include physical bullying, verbal bullying (conversation), social bullying, and cyber bullying. Examples of physical bullying that can demonstrate an unhealthy culture in schools include hitting, kicking, stealing, hiding other people’s belongings, and forcing unwanted actions.
“The cause of physical bullying is due to dissatisfaction, desire for attention, peer influence, family problems, self-importance, disregard for rules, and jealousy.
“Bullying can have an effect on physical and emotional health in both the short and long term. Research studies also show that anyone involved in bullying, whether they are bullying others or being bullied, has a high risk of depression,” he explained.
Circular of Specialisation Number 8 of 2010 regarding guidelines for preventing and handling bullying among students in schools allows the principal and headmaster to take action against students who engage in bullying in school or in the hostel by imposing any punishment such as a strong warning or prohibition from using facilities in school or in the hostel or participating in school programmes or activities for a certain period of time.
Offenders can also be punished with caning not exceeding three times or suspension from school for a period not exceeding 14 days or expulsion from school (for serious cases involving injury or loss of life).
According to Abdul Rahman, the police have a section or act on punishment for bullies, where cases will be investigated according to their respective sections, one of which is the Penal Code which provides for imprisonment or both if convicted.
