STRESS and an inability to cope with modern society’s expectations are some of the factors leading to a rise in bullying cases with elements of horrific violence, said psychology expert Dr Mariani Mohamad Nor.

The mental health of bullies are often unstable, as proven by their inability to control their emotions and tell right from wrong, resulting in them hurting their victims, she said.

“Humans these days, especially the youth, are displaying actions that are more animalistic. This is because they seem to lack the sense of compassion,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Education at Universiti Malaya (UM).

Dr Mariani said in the case of T. Nhaveen, the 18-year-old who died on Thursday from injuries sustained after he was physically and sexually abused, his attackers could have been acting on a long-festering desire to revenge. 

“The bully could have been punished before for his actions. So, because of that, he was festering dissatisfaction towards the victim.”

Nhaveen slipped into a coma after he was brought to hospital on June 9 following the attacks.

Media reports noted that Nhaveen had been a victim of bullying in the past, with at least one of his attackers believed to have been punished before for picking on Nhaveen while they were school-mates.

Dr Mariani said that stress from their elders, their peers and from society’s expectations on them were also factors that push many overboard.

On May 23, 10 students from MRSM Parit in Perak were expelled for bullying six junior students following a tussle over football shoes.

A week following the incident, the nation was shocked with the death of navy cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, who was allegedly beaten and burnt after his attackers accused him of stealing a laptop.

“On the surface, it seems like a small issue. The bullies want a football shoe, they don’t get it. The university students need a laptop, and a misunderstanding happens.

“The students feel the pressure of performing, or maybe of assignments that need to be completed. And this results in stress,” said Dr Mariani.

Bullies also tend to have a strong pack mentality, and sense of loyalty towards those they perceive as their friends.

“Unfortunately, this sense of unity is used negatively, in an unhealthy environment. When bullying occurs, it becomes much worse when it involves a big group,” said Dr Mariani.

Trouble at home

From his experience of counselling and dealing with bullies, Hushim Salleh said many troubled youths came from troubled families.

He said the role of the family in raising a child with good and positive values can not be replaced by any other institution.

“The situation now is very critical. Just recently, I held counselling sessions with Standard 1 kids who were involved in bullying.

“These kids probably have faced some problems from a very young age,” said Hushim, who has had 20 years’ experience in counselling troubled youths.

“My view is that, the trend of bullying often starts from their own homes. For example, the children watching their father behave aggressively,” he said.

Punishment alone not the answer

The education ministry recently revealed statistics indicating a drop in the number of bullying cases in schools. Records show that in 2012, a total of 4,159 cases were reported, a number which dropped the year after to 4,120. In 2014, there were 2,825 cases, and 2,968 cases reported in 2015.

While the statistics indicate a drop in the number of reported cases, Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid has said the government views the recent spate of violent attacks in schools and universities seriously.

He said schools will now enforce harsher forms of punishment on bullies, such as immediate expulsion, and said those found guilty of their crimes will face punishments as accorded by the law.

However, while experts agree that the worrying rise in violence in bullying cases must be dealt with swiftly, prevention and rehabilitation was still the most effective long-term solution.

In fact, troubled youths who are punished without a follow-up of a series of counselling sessions will likely be repeat offenders later on in life.

“The beginning stages of counselling involve educating the family on parenting methods at the early stages of a child’s life,” Hushim told The Malaysian Insight.

“The development stage is having group counselling therapy. This is where we identify smaller groups of students who may exhibit signs of problematic behaviour.

These troubled youths will then undergo prevention and rehabilitation sessions. Some general traits of students in this group are disciplinary problems, playing truant and being involved in fights.

“There is a need to prevent and identify troubled youths. The counsellor needs to investigate their backgrounds, and give advice.

“It is here that the counsellor needs to use his or her skills to get the individual to share their problems, and to talk.” – June 18, 2017.