Two schoolboys involved in an apparent bullying incident at Shuqun Secondary School in Jurong have filed police reports, Channel NewsAsia has learnt. It is understood that the police are investigating the matter.
A video showing the two students being hit repeatedly on the head by a schoolmate went viral on Monday (Sep 21), sparking outrage. The school said the alleged bully deeply regrets his actions and has been counselled. It also said an adjunct teacher who was in class during the incident last Friday has been spoken to, adding that it takes all incidents of bullying seriously.
In the video clip, the two victims kept their heads down and did not retaliate.
Said Ms Iris Lin, head of the youth division at Fei Yue Community Services: “The physical pain may stop, but the emotional pain may continue on. And oftentimes it’s their view of themselves – ‘I must be lousy, I must not be good enough. That’s why people are doing this to me. And it’s my fault.’
When dealing with cases of bullying, Ms Lin said Fei Yue counsellors spend a lot of time listening to victims to ensure that they feel supported.
The Singapore Children’s Society said it handles about three or four cases of bullying each month. Most of these involve physical and verbal abuse. It added that the number of such incidents may well be under-reported, as many people may not be aware that they have been bullies or victims of bullying.
Said Ms Ann Hui Peng, director of the Singapore Children’s Society: “When we do extensive research right now of adults – when we talk to them about bullying episodes back in school, a lot of them came back and said, ‘Oh, I actually had such encounters back in school’. When we look at the current statistics, a lot of them did not know that there are avenues to seek help and did not come to us.”
Bullies pick on others for various reasons, but one thing stands out, she said. “We do know that in every bullying encounter, there’s one element that remains – which is that there’s a power struggle between the victim and the bully. Very often, a bully will look for someone who is isolated, who is often seen alone, very quiet – because they’re more vulnerable and an easy target.”
She added that it is important to recognise that like victims, bullies need help too and those who witness such incidents should alert agencies that can provide help.
Students of Shuqun Secondary School said their principal spoke to them about the bullying incident on Tuesday and urged them to show care to fellow students.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
