14,000 bullying cases recorded in schools nationwide, from 2012 to 2015

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 14,000 cases of bullying in schools have been recorded nationwide from 2012 to 2015, said Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
There were 4,159 cases in 2012; 4,120 in 2013; 2,825 in 2014 and 2,968 in 2015, he said, adding that most of them involved physical bullying.
"The ministry has taken various steps to ensure that cases of abuse in school will not repeat," he said in reply to a supplementary question from Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan (PAS-Kota Baru) on the number of bullying cases brought to court.
Mahdzir said he could not provide the exact figure of such cases but would provide the relevant statistics later.
Last week, Mahdzir had suggested a one-year suspension for school students involved in bullying cases and that the ministry would get feedback from the public on the plan.
Mahdzir said the ministry has seen a decrease in bullying cases in schools in recent years due to cooperation with several parties and programmes initiated.
He also said schools and parent-teacher associations have a collective responsibility to curb the issue of bullying, and that many schools with the cooperation of PTAs have managed to come up with solutions to the problem.