The Malaysian Association of Adolescent Health (MAAH) expresses deep concern and sadness over the recent series of violent incidents involving school students, including the tragic death of a Form Four girl who was allegedly stabbed by a junior schoolmate, the rape of a Form Three student in her classroom, and earlier cases of bullying related deaths in both schools and universities.
These heartbreaking events are a wake-up call for all of us parents, educators, healthcare professionals, policymakers and society at large.
They signal not only a breakdown in school safety, but also a failure of empathy, supervision and early intervention within our communities.
Violence Does Not Begin in the Classroom
School-based violence rarely occurs in isolation. It reflects deeper social issues, exposure to aggression at home, easy access to violent or pornographic content, poor emotional regulation, peer pressure and the absence of consistent adult guidance.
In some cases, students who bully or harm others may themselves be victims of neglect or prior trauma.
MAAH emphasises that the current education system’s heavy emphasis on academic performance must be balanced with character development, emotional intelligence and mental wellbeing. Schools must be places of safety, not fear.
Strengthening Safeguarding And Mental Health Support
We urge the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Health (MOH) to jointly establish a National Safeguarding Framework that protects students across all schools, being public, private and religious. This framework should include:
- Mandatory safeguarding officers in every school to oversee safety protocols and handle incidents
- Clear referral pathways linking schools with nearby primary care clinics, welfare offices and police protection units.
- Regular training for teachers and counsellors on trauma-informed care, early detection of abuse and handling disclosures sensitively.
- Age-appropriate education on consent, boundaries, empathy and safe digital behaviour.
- Accessible mental health services for both victims and perpetrators, with follow-up support through family physicians and community clinics.
The Role Of Parents And The Community
MAAH reminds parents that supervision and open communication remain key protective factors. Parents should be aware of their children’s online activities, peer groups and emotional well-being.
Community leaders, including religious figures, should also model compassion and zero tolerance for violence.
These cases reminded us that prevention cannot be outsourced to schools alone. Every adult who interacts with a child, at home, in clinics or in the community has a responsibility to notice distress, to ask and to act.
A Call For Coordinated National Action
MAAH calls for the formation for a National Task Force on Adolescent Safety and Mental Health, involving the MOE, MOH, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and law enforcement agencies.
The task force should review existing policies, strengthen accountability and develop a public dashboard to monitor incidents, responses and outcomes. Indeed, each tragedy we mourn is one too many.
Malaysia must not normalise violence among youth, and there must be a shift from reaction to prevention, from silence to collective responsibility.
This statement was issued by the Malaysian Association of Adolescent Health (MAAH).
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
