Victims do not report school bullies because of shame, fear
Shame of being judged by peers. Fear of backlash after turning in the bully.
These were among the common reasons cited by respondents in a TNP survey conducted on Oct 8 and 9.
Out of the 240 respondents aged 18 and above, at least 34 per cent – 46 males and 27 females – admitted they were bullied in school.
And out of the 82 victims of school bullies, 28 of them did not report the incident and eight told their peers about bullying but did not recount the incident to an adult.
Shame and in fear were two reasons most commonly cited by the victims for not telling anyone about the bullying.
Psychiatrist Adrian Wang of Dr Adrian Wang Psychiatric and Counselling Care at Gleneagles Medical Centre explained that victims of school bullies often feel helpless and believe adults would not understand or help them.
"They also fear judgment from their peers and may be afraid of being isolated if they report the bully, especially if the bully is a senior or popular in school," Dr Wang told TNP.
Victims of school bullies fear the backlash if they report the bully.
At the same time, not all students realise they are being bullied – they may have witnessed others getting the same treatment from the bullies and assume it is a norm.
The survey also unearthed the other side of bullying.
Forty out of the 240 respondents admitted to have bullied someone in school but only nine of them said they were caught and dealt with.
The nine individuals were issued a stern warning or put through detention. None of them were expelled from school or caned.
According to education news website Schoolbag: "Caning remains an option, though it is considered for only severe and repeated offences, and after all other options have been exhausted. Offenders are always warned well in advance that certain actions of theirs could lead to caning. Once the measure is decided on, parents are always informed in advance."
Sixty of the 82 victims from the survey were from neighbourhood schools while 19 were from elite schools and three from international schools.
Dr Wang stressed that bullying can occur across all socioeconomic groups, although some studies have shown that it tends to happen more in lower socioeconomic groups.
“Kids raised in disruptive environments may exhibit bullying and other behavioural problems because they themselves are caught in a cycle of abuse and stress,” he said, highlighting the importance of teachers and educators in identifying bullying behaviour and receiving adequate training to manage both the bully and victim.
“Resources such as helplines or online portals should be made readily available and known to students to encourage them to speak up against bullies."
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