Physical bullying tops list of complaints received by tribunal

Physical bullying topped the list of complaints received by the anti-bullying tribunal, making up 41 of the total 56 cases reported as of yesterday.

Tribunal president Nurul Husna Awang said these cases involved students allegedly being beaten, pushed, kicked or having their belongings damaged, Berita Harian reported.

She added that the tribunal also received six complaints of emotional and psychological bullying in the form of threats, insults or actions that caused victims to be fearful, shameful or stressed.

The tribunal formed in June also received five complaints of verbal bullying, three related to cyber bullying and one of “social bullying”.

She added that teens aged 13 to 17 made up the majority of victims with 35 cases, while 18 cases involved children aged seven to 12, and three involved children aged below seven.

“In terms of ethnicity, 29 victims are Chinese, 24 Malay and three from Indian households,” she said adding that 33 of the 56 victims are boys.

“There are also 86 respondents in these 56 cases, involving 65 boys and 21 girls, meaning in some cases there is more than one perpetrator.”

According to Nurul, 12 cases are active while 44 have been resolved, including 37 which were rejected at the vetting stage, six that were resolved following hearings, and one that was withdrawn by the complainant.

Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said previously said five cases were decided through various awards, including bullies being made to apologise to their victims, undergo counselling or, in one case, pay RM2,000 in damages.

The tribunal serves as a second avenue for victims who believe their complaints are not properly addressed by educational institutions. It also handles cases involving children outside the school system.

Yesterday, a Form 2 student at a sports school in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan died after allegedly being beaten up by a senior. A16-year-old student has since been arrested to assist in the murder investigation.

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