Recent violence by children towards other children in our schools has significantly impacted all of us in the country.

It has been of great concern to parents and especially to children attending our schools.

Another alleged sexual assault of a female student by four students reported today adds to the fears.

No one expects that the school environment is where rape and violent physical harm can occur. 

We have a tendency as a nation to be reactive and not proactive. We tend to point fingers at others rather than take responsibility and work to resolve issues.

The problems that have occurred in recent weeks are not isolated events but a culmination of many years of unhealthy trends in the country.

We must not have a ‘knee-jerk’ response expecting a quick fix—there is no such thing. Instead, we must be prepared to take a good hard look at our nation and understand the factors that unpinned these events. 

It is good that the Director General of the Ministry of Education, Azam Ahmad, has stated that many sexual harassment and bullying cases in school have been “swept under the carpet.”

The acknowledgment that we have a huge problem, unattended to and largely ignored, is a good starting place.

Why children commit violent crimes against other children is a complex issue driven by a combination of interacting risk factors at various levels—individual, family/relationship, school/peer group, community, and societal.

We need to take responsibility for all of these and make significant changes in all these areas.

Allow me to briefly highlight a number of areas that require our serious attention. 

Responsibility of children

Children cannot be absolved of all responsibility for their actions.

In the three serious, violent school crimes, the children are alleged to have committed, they appear aware of their actions, and should be held accountable.

While we provide access to trauma-informed care and counselling for the victims and their families, let us also make sure there is care for offenders.

We need to provide long-term, effective, rehabilitative treatment programs for juveniles involved in crime.

Older teenagers need to recognize that they are role models and copied by younger teens.

‘Violence breeds violence’ and ‘copycat behavior’ among teens is well recognized.

Substance use in particular, is strongly related to violence towards other children; as is association with delinquent peers who engage in criminal or aggressive behavior.

Hence, older teens need to set a good example for those who are younger in school and in society.

Parental responsibility

We are all well aware that family relationships, parenting and home discipline strongly influence a child’s behavior and outcome.

Children who experience family conflict, child abuse and neglect, parents with psycho-social issues (like depression), and parental substance abuse are more likely to engage in criminal acts.

Children model the behavior of family members and are strongly affected by adverse home environments.

More important is the bonding and attachment between parents and children. In our present society, the time spent by parents with children has diminished considerably.

While parents struggle to provide for the material and educational needs of their children, to secure them a good future, the time to listen to each other is sacrificed.

In addition, many parents are unaware of their child’s online and in-person relationship and activities.

Parents must take responsibility for their children’s psycho-social wellbeing and be aware of their relationships and online use. Ultimately, the best friend of every child should be their parent.

Parents must also make an effort to maintain open lines of communication with school teachers to understand what is happening there.

Responsibility of school and education authorities

Children spend a considerable amount of time in the school environment and it shapes their outlook. Not just parents, but teachers and peers also serve as role models.

Hence, schools need to be safe and nurturing environments. For too long we have left school bullying, delinquent behavior and sexual harassment unchecked in our schools.

Our efforts so far have been inadequate as we choose to falsely claim that these are ‘isolated events’ or ‘only a minority of children.’

As the DG of education emphasized, the problems are much larger and must not be swept under the carpet but systematically addressed.

Schools and the education system must not just focus on academic capability but also on psycho-social health.

We are a community; we cannot ignore the impact of our words and actions on others. We have a shared responsibility towards each other and all children in Malaysia.

The Ministry of Education needs to implement evidence-based, school-wide systems that reward positive behavior and create a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment.

Teachers require training in identifying warning signs, use of positive discipline and model behavioral expectations.

There should be no tolerance for any bullying, violence or sexual harassment.

Every school should have one trained mental health first aider with access to trained, professional counsellors to provide extra support for students who have a history of violence or trauma.

Teachers must engage parents as partners in violence prevention.

Finally, all schools must audit the quality and comprehensiveness of their physical security and monitoring of the premises.

Responsibility of the government, government agencies and Members of Parliament

Apart from the Ministry of Education, other Government Agencies and Members of Parliament (MPs) have important roles to play.

Violence in schools is a mirror of what happens in society.

We have seen that MPs have occasionally used sexually negative language towards women in parliament but it has resulted in little accountability.

Some MPs also appear not concerned with major problems that plague our education, health and social systems, but spend their time on petty fights on small issues.

If our leaders cannot set an example, what do we expect from children?

We need our MPs to work with our government agencies to formulate, implement and enforce laws and policies that prohibit all forms of violence against children, including banning corporal punishment.

We need to shift from a purely punitive model to one that emphasizes rehabilitation, accountability, and education for young offenders.

There must be more concerted efforts to restrict youth access to weapons and substance abuse, including vaping.

MPs and government agencies need to set an example and mobilize the community to promote peaceful, non-violent discipline and gender equality.

Finally, we need more meaningful and effective efforts to reduce poverty—family financial stress is a risk factor for violence.

Responsibility of social media giants, the media and society at large

The world as we know it is lived very much on social media.

All our social media platforms have failed children. They allow violent, abusive and sexualized content to flourish online.

Their algorithms actually help amplify these ‘titillating’ incidents to reach more of society.

Many of us in society are also very quick to share these traumatic events, even if it means further harm to children and families, while knowing it is illegal under the Child Act.

Most of our children have unrestricted access to social media.

It is well recognized from studies that exposure to violence and sexual harassment through media can desensitize children and even glorify violence.

While reporting on violence sells media, in the long run it helps to degrade society.

Our print and online media have an important role to inform but not amplify violence in any form in society.

It is necessary for the authorities to take legal action against individuals and media organization who share details, images or videos of children involved in sexual assault and abuse; this may be the only way to stop Malaysians from sharing and forwarding these online.

We need to be united in our stand to stop the current behavior of social media apps and demand mandatory protection for children in all online posts and a ban on sexualized content.

We are a community; we cannot ignore the impact of our words and actions on others. We have a shared responsibility towards each other and all children in Malaysia.

Please let us stop pointing fingers and work together to create a safer environment for children in our schools, online and in society.

We need an all-of-society involvement and commitment to get this job done. 

(Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS, Consultant Pediatrician, Child-Disability Activist.)