New survey shows Thai kids are subject to excessive levels of bullying

Thai students are suffering from high levels of bullying – physical, verbal and online. Two years ago a Department of Mental Health survey indicated that Thailand had the second highest rate of bullying in the world. The most recent survey shows things have not improved and remain alarming.

92% of Thai school kids have been exposed to physical or psychological abuse by their peers. The appalling estimate is part of a survey by the Network of Legal Advocates for Children and Youth.

And 13% are medically depressed from bullying.

The survey was conducted with 1,000 students across 15 schools and aged between 10-15 years…

• 92% reported being bullied by their school peers at least once

• 35% of those say they had been bullied at least twice a semester

• 25% said they had been bullied at least three or four times a week

The survey says that bullying can range from physical, verbal and online abuse…

• 62% say they have been directly hit in the head by their peers

• 43% say bullies made fun of their parents’ names

• 42% were humiliated by being called rude and inappropriate names

• 30% say they have experienced some form of harassment or abuse on social media

• 26% of the victims were under stress

• 18% had problems concentrating at school

• 16% did not want to go to school

• 15% had become introverted

The results were announced at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. The current survey shows that around 600,000 Thai children in school are being victimised.

Thannitcha Limpanich, manager of the Family Network Foundation, agrees that bullying is so widespread in Thailand that it needs serious attention. She noted that bullying can cultivate violent behaviour.

The Thai military and police services have long used a systemic culture of hazing, bastardisation and bullying for new recruits which has filtered down into the school systems over many decades.

Thailand, which ranks in 32nd place with 14.4 of suicides per 100.000 population – or nearly 10,000 suicide deaths last year – holds the unenviable position of number 1 among ASEAN countries on the WHO suicide list.

f you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai) or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai).

SOURCE: Bangkok Post