Bullying rampant among students in Thai schools

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Bullying rampant among students in Thai schools

 

 

Among students between 10 to 15 years old in Thailand, 91.79 per cent have been bullied, according to a survey of 15 schools, said Athiwat Niemmeesri of the Lawyers for Children and Youth network.

 

Physical abuse of younger students by their seniors is the most common occurrence accounting for 62.07 per cent, followed by verbal abuse and online bullying.

 

Athiwat said that Thai society needs to acknowledge the wrongdoing of bullying in schools despite it being seen as a normal behaviour among students.

 

Thanicha Limpanich, manager of the Family Network Foundation under the Ministry of Public Health said new technologies played a part in intensifying bullying among children.

 

Thailand is ranked second after Japan among countries with the highest rates of bullying and the victims are getting younger.

 

Children who bully others usually grew up in a negative environment or possess a genetic trait for violence while bullied children could develop mental conditions such as depression.

 

“Parents shouldn’t let children face this predicament alone. They should pay attention to any abnormal behaviour such as anxiety, frustration or physical evidence of bullying, discuss with them to find a solution,” said Thanicha.

 

She also suggested that schools should adopt measures such as having teachers who specialise in this matter.

 

Ticha Na Nakorn, Director of the Baan Kanjanapisek Juvenile Vocational Training Centre, added that Thai society has let bullying grow by believing that verbal abuse is just an expression.

 

The suicide rate among children is much higher these days as many feel lonely and vulnerable. Parents and schools should join up for solving the problem.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30380328

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-01-09

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[anterian]

But Thai culture is based on bullying, fro Hiso to Loso, from rich to poor, from uniformed to those without uniform.

Edited January 9, 2020 by anterian

[cornishcarlos]

10 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

adopt measures such as having teachers who specialise in this matter

 

It would be a start to have teachers that specialised in teaching, never mind child psychology !! 

[thaiowl]

National pastime: police bullying poor people; parents/teachers bullying children/pupils. Ask your Thai friends if they enjoyed their school days.

[Topdoc]

A nation totally obsessed with one-upmanship.

[Artisi]

7 minutes ago, Topdoc said:

A nation totally obsessed with one-upmanship.

Unfortunately normal, acceptable and encouraged. 

Seems some have just dropped from the trees. 

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, Topdoc said:

A nation totally obsessed with one-upmanship.

Perhaps it needs kids to learn how to do some put-downs:

My bully's bigger than your bully.

I've been bullied by better people than you before.

 

[WineOh]

...and I'm sure that the biggest bullies of them all end up wearing brown uniforms when they get older...

 

'hey you, licence.' ????

 

[thaipod]

A lot of bullying is from students competing with their parents position in society or business status or the type of car they are picked up in. 

 

This is is something my son has been challenged on going to a private school here being challenged by hiso students about the brand of clothing-phone he has. 

 

Now being overseas seas he is much happier 

[Misterwhisper]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Thailand is ranked second after Japan among countries with the highest rates of bullying and the victims are getting younger.

Again only second place? Poor Thailand. They're trying so hard to be number one at something, anything. It just never works out for them, does it?

[djayz]

Sad. Those should be the best years of their lives - for both the bullies and their victims. 

[cyril sneer]

8 hours ago, Topdoc said:

A nation totally obsessed with one-upmanship.

It helps keep a lot of farangs in longer lasting relationships 

[Assurancetourix]

11 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Thailand is ranked second after Japan among countries with the highest rates of bullying and the victims are getting younger.

It is however impossible to compare the two education systems;
in Thailand primary and secondary school is more like Disneyland than anything else

while in Japan it is excellence that dominates.

[JAG]

12 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

She also suggested that schools should adopt measures such as having teachers who specialise in this matter.

We do - he is the fat knacker in the PE department who also "commands" the Army Cadet detachment!

Edited January 10, 2020 by JAG

[LivinLOS]

9 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

Again only second place? Poor Thailand. They're trying so hard to be number one at something, anything. It just never works out for them, does it?

To be fair.. They really are close on road deaths, bullying, air pollution, etc etc.. 

 

Keep trying Thailand, you'll make it.. 

Edited January 10, 2020 by LivinLOS

[rkidlad]

I worked for a Thai company for a short period of time. The owner would often bully the staff. Once in a blue moon she'd be nice to them, but mostly she'd just be mean and belittle them and bark inane orders. The staff would seemingly just take it on the chin as if it was just the way things worked. 'She's up there and we're down here' kinda mentality. 

 

You see the PM, police chief, army chief, etc, on TV sometimes looking down their noses at people and displaying sheer contempt. Barking orders and swatting away reporters, etc. People see this and it sets awful examples. Sadly, I think there are a lot of people who aspire to be in these positions acting in the same manner. 

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, rkidlad said:

I worked for a Thai company for a short period of time. The owner would often bully the staff. Once in a blue moon she'd be nice to them, but mostly she'd just be mean and belittle them and bark inane orders. The staff would seemingly just take it on the chin as if it was just the way things worked. 'She's up there and we're down here' kinda mentality. 

 

You see the PM, police chief, army chief, etc, on TV sometimes looking down their noses at people and displaying sheer contempt. Barking orders and swatting away reporters, etc. People see this and it sets awful examples. Sadly, I think there are a lot of people who aspire to be in these positions acting in the same manner. 

'Barking orders and swatting away reporters, etc.'

Personally I see it more as barking mad.

[Baerboxer]

12 hours ago, thaipod said:

A lot of bullying is from students competing with their parents position in society or business status or the type of car they are picked up in. 

 

This is is something my son has been challenged on going to a private school here being challenged by hiso students about the brand of clothing-phone he has. 

 

Now being overseas seas he is much happier 

 

Indeed.

 

My daughter always wanted us to pick her up in our newest car.

 

Her friend goes to a very expensive well known UK branded private school. Her Chinese mum tells me she gets funny looks from other parents because she doesn't drive a Benz, BMW (seen as cheap run about) or something more expensive!

 

This sort of materialistic one upmanship face thing fuels the bullies. As does rich hiso students literally getting away with murder if mummy and daddy are rich, powerful and well connected enough. They know they can do as they please.

[ubon farang]

14 hours ago, thaiowl said:

National pastime: police bullying poor people; parents/teachers bullying children/pupils. Ask your Thai friends if they enjoyed their school days.

And when they get conscripted  into the army they get bullied there

[seajae]

its basically the thai "my penis is bigger than yours" garbage many males seem to have, they really need to be taught they are not "number one" as many thai parents continually tell them, it just makes it worse

[Grumpy John]

You all must be confused!  Its day care or if you please a child minding service.  Here in this village a bus load of kids go to AJ school in Noen Maprang.  Pickup at 6.15 and return around 5.30.  It gIves the parents plenty of time during the day to do work or other things.  

[BobbyL]

15 hours ago, Topdoc said:

A nation totally obsessed with one-upmanship.

I think essentially you're right. The international school I work at in Bangkok is about 60% Thai. I would hazard a guess at every case of bullying I have dealt with has been with Thai students and usually it is them bullying students of other nationalities. 

 

There definitely is a real deep - rooted nationalistic trait here which due to the country's lack of cultural diversity will be hard to shake. 

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Physical abuse of younger students by their seniors is the most common occurrence accounting for 62.07 per cent, followed by verbal abuse and online bullying

The sad news is it doesn't end in the playground!

[dcnx]

16 hours ago, anterian said:

But Thai culture is based on bullying, fro Hiso to Loso, from rich to poor, from uniformed to those without uniform.

Start them young, repeat the cycle. 

[Hanuman2547]

On 1/9/2020 at 6:18 PM, rkidlad said:

I worked for a Thai company for a short period of time. The owner would often bully the staff. Once in a blue moon she'd be nice to them, but mostly she'd just be mean and belittle them and bark inane orders. The staff would seemingly just take it on the chin as if it was just the way things worked. 'She's up there and we're down here' kinda mentality. 

 

You see the PM, police chief, army chief, etc, on TV sometimes looking down their noses at people and displaying sheer contempt. Barking orders and swatting away reporters, etc. People see this and it sets awful examples. Sadly, I think there are a lot of people who aspire to be in these positions acting in the same manner. 

So true!  It starts in the schools and continues through their working lives.  

[justin case]

look up fragile x syndrome ... low iq, agressive ... fits most thai men and women

[Chazar]

On 1/9/2020 at 8:08 PM, Jonathan Fairfield said:

despite it being seen as a normal behaviour among students

its endemic to Thai society................do  you  know who i am

[fusion58]

On 1/9/2020 at 3:16 AM, anterian said:

But Thai culture is based on bullying, fro Hiso to Loso, from rich to poor, from uniformed to those without uniform.

Yep.

 

Part and parcel of a feudal society in which money and social status are the only bases for respect.

[fusion58]

On 1/9/2020 at 3:33 AM, Topdoc said:

A nation totally obsessed with one-upmanship.

That's why I have to chuckle whenever I hear someone say Thailand is a Buddhist country.