PSSC: Send bullies, victims for psychosocial screening

 

A parliamentary special select committee (PSSC) has recommended that both bullies and victims be referred to the National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health (NCEMH) for mandatory psychosocial screening and appropriate follow-up interventions.

In a statement yesterday, the PSSC on Women, Children and Community Development said this approach ensures that cases involving social and emotional issues are not treated merely as disciplinary matters, and that victims receive professional rehabilitation to prevent long-term trauma and reduce the risk of them becoming perpetrators in the future.

According to the committee, a study involving 33,523 secondary school students found that 79.1 percent had been involved in bullying - either as perpetrators (14.4 percent), victims (16.3 percent), or both (48.4 percent).

“This means that victims have the potential to become perpetrators if they do not receive appropriate intervention,” read the statement.

The committee stressed that managing children’s mental health requires professional expertise and a systematic approach, noting that teachers cannot be expected to shoulder this responsibility, as it falls outside their scope of duties.

It also recommended that the NCEMH become the national focal point responsible for caring for children's mental health, with the Education Ministry and Women, Family and Community Development Ministry as strategic partners.

The statement mentioned that among the functions and roles that the NCEMH could be empowered with are training relevant counsellors and teachers in schools to identify cases such as digital and sex addiction, as well as mental health challenges that require early intervention.

- Bernama