A Bullying Epidemic

By JONATHAN LEE RONG SHENG

Tackling bullying requires cultivating a culture of empathy and respect among the young.

Allow me to begin by first sharing my deepest condolences to the family of the late Zulfarhan Osman, and all victims of bullying.

Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain's death occurred in 2017, following brutal acts of torture resulting in severe burns covering 80 percent of his body which stemmed from a laptop theft accusation by a university mate.

His case came into limelight again when the six perpetrators, who are former UPNM cadets, were handed the death sentence by the Court of Appeal, overturning the previous 18-year jail sentence.

In Malaysia, bullying is an epidemic.

According to the Malay Mail, the Education Ministry reported a sharp increase in bullying cases in schools over the past few years. As of October 2023, there were 4,994 reported cases, in comparison to 2022's 3,887.

Bullying can take the form of physical aggression, verbal abuse, and in recent years, it has encroached into the digital space, which poses an added challenge. A report by the Health Ministry stating that one in five adolescents in Malaysia or one in five adolescents has bullied someone online underscores the need for intervention in order to produce an immediate effect.

The effects of bullying are harsh, and fighting this epidemic calls for a multi-dimensional approach. Schools should demonstrate no tolerance and decision on cases of bullying and pools for both the victims and the bullies. The teachers and the parents should hence merge to form a support system in which students can be free and feel safe in reporting bullying.

Furthermore, the law has to go further with the realisation of a strict stance on bullies, as per the case of Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, such that no other could take the same direction.

We also have to realise that bullying goes beyond the relationship of a bully and a victim. A program that is given heavy attention by Western educators which has impressed me is the training of active bystanders. It teaches people how to be more than just a bystander: that is, how to recognize, potentially, a dangerous situation like bullying and ways on how to intervene in these dangerous situations.

In that way, it sums up to the inculcation of a culture of empathy and respect among the young. It is very important to teach children the values of kindness, understanding, and standing up to bullies to avoid the development of such behaviours.

The tragic death of Zulfarhan Osman serves as a grim reminder of what may happen in our society when incidents of bullying are left unchecked. Let his story serve as a catalyst for change, demanding that everybody take an active stand against bullying in whatever form.