School bullying has become an important issue for the well-being of students. In a report published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in April 2018 on students’ well-being, 32.3 percent of the 5,000 Hong Kong students who took part in the study reported that they had been bullied within the past month, including being socially excluded and threatened, etc., recording the highest rate of bullying among OECD members and participants.
In another survey, conducted by Junior Chamber International Lion Rock and Hong Kong Family Mediation, 37.8 percent of interviewees (604 primary one-to-six students) reported being bullied by their peers in the past year, among which 8.1 percent reported being bullied five times or more on average each month. The rate of school bullying experienced by Hong Kong students is one of the highest globally.
School bullying is emotionally distressing for both victims and perpetrators, and this distress could persist into adulthood. Hence, while putting our focus on the academic progress of students when they return to school, let us not forget that academic problems are not the only factors that affect a student’s mental health and that school bullying, including cyberbullying, are equally important issues that demand our attention
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong conducted a mobile phone survey from June to July last year of 1,504 participants from 11 to 35 years old. About 30 percent, or 135 people, reported having been bullied, while about 15 percent reported having bullied others.
The survey showed that there is an obvious difference between the mental health of those who have experienced bullying (including cyberbullying), whether as victims or perpetrators, and the mental health of those who have not been bullied or who have not bullied others.
Without a doubt, school bullying creates a huge impact on the mental health of victims. Nonetheless, it is of note that the mental health of perpetrators of bullying is not any better. They themselves could have been victims of bullying, some could have come from broken families who were deprived of care and neglected since youth, which subsequently led to feelings of insecurity and self-doubt.
The results also indicate that students who have been bullied are 15 percentage points (59 percent versus 44 percent) more likely to think about suicide compared to those who have not been bullied. Their rate of attempting suicide is also 10 percentage points (15 percent versus 5 percent) higher than those who have not been bullied. In addition, in relation to perpetrators, the results suggest that they are 5 percentage points (32 percent versus 27 percent) more likely to think about suicide than those who have not bullied others, and their rate of attempted suicide is 14 percentage points (16 percent versus 2 percent) higher than those who have not bullied others.
As such, the identities of victims and perpetrators may overlap and ultimately, they are both victims, and their mental health warrants attention, support and counseling. School bullying is emotionally distressing for both victims and perpetrators, and this distress could persist into adulthood. Hence, while putting our focus on the academic progress of students when they return to school, let us not forget that academic problems are not the only factors that affect a student’s mental health and that school bullying, including cyberbullying, are equally important issues that demand our attention.
The year 2020 must be an extraordinary year for all students. There were no more than two months spent in the classroom during the first eight months of 2020. Upon the commencement of the new school year and in response to the pandemic outbreak, the students will, for the moment, have the new school year without returning to their school campus. Students are going to rely on online learning and will spend more time on the internet.
As everyone is busy preparing for the new school year, with parents getting new books, uniforms and masks for their children, we should bear in mind that the children have experienced eight months of an extraordinary learning process and may, to a certain extent, have different thinking toward the new school year.
We hope they are excited about the new school year, but things do not always go as planned. As routines change, they need time to adapt to a new normal, so as parents, don’t be too eager to teach them the rightful way of thinking or to correct their feelings.
Instead, try to engage with them in a conversation on returning to school, and listen attentively to their feelings and allow them to share their views freely. They may be looking forward to returning to school or they may have some reservations. Perhaps they are worried about the unfinished summer homework, or nervous about adapting to a structured time schedule, or they could be anxious about the new class teacher and new classmates, or they could be scared of facing the students they have bullied or fears of being bullied or ostracized, etc.
It is believed that the increase in student suicides after a long vacation is partly due to the anxieties of adapting to a new environment. The start of a new school year is more than just about academic improvements but a series of learning on interpersonal skills.
Commencing school without returning to school campus is yet another new challenge. We hope that all schools and families cooperate to create a caring and safe environment, whether virtually or physically, for our students’ mental health. In addition to knowledge from textbooks, we can equip them with the skills to build up mutual supportive relationships with their classmates as well as ways of handling conflict and positive communication that will help them overcome the challenges of growing up and not let bullying becomes an issue that will taint their future.
The author is the director of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention at the University of Hong Kong.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
