Opinions

When it comes to bullying, the idea that it should have no place in schools is perhaps the most widely held belief in Hong Kong’s educational sector. Yet despite the Education Bureau adopting a zero-tolerance stance on school bullying since 2005[1], it remains a common occurrence in schoolyards. Indeed, a Save the Children report published in 2021 found that close to 25% of secondary school students are often or always worried about being bullied. As MWYO, a Hong Kong youth-based independent thinktank, finds in its latest research report after conducting in-depth focus group interviews with 26 secondary school students from different backgrounds, much training is required for secondary school students and teachers alike in order to equip them with the necessary skills to provide support for victims of school bullying.

The role and behaviour of witnesses in school bullying

In Hong Kong, much of the research regarding school bullying is focused on the perpetrators and victims of bullying, seeking to understand the motivations and impacts of bullying and explore ways to reduce bullying. Whilst such research is undoubtedly important, it ignores the role played by witnesses (students and teachers) in these episodes. With overseas research suggesting that witnesses play a crucial role in reducing the frequency of school bullying[2], MWYO therefore decides to investigate how students and teachers react when they come into contact with bullying, with the aim of encouraging them to take on a more active role in protecting victims of bullying.

Frequently the only witnesses to school bullying incidents, students are arguably best placed to defend their peers from bullies and support them in the aftermath. Indeed, the majority of students we interviewed feel that they have a moral duty to assist classmates who are being bullied and not being able to help commonly results in feelings of guilt and unease. Despite this clear willingness to protect victims of bullying, students often stop short of actually doing so. This is mainly because they feel that they are unqualified when it comes to stopping bullying. Citing a lack of training in conflict de-escalation and mental first-aid, students fear that their attempts at intervention will do more harm than good. As such, they choose to take no action.

The decision for students to seek the help of teachers when witnessing bullying is natural. After all, this is the response that many schools encourage. What is worrying, however, is the fact that in-depth interviews with secondary school students appear to suggest that teachers are ill-equipped to deal with bullying. In one case, for instance, a student recounted that a teacher accused a bullying victim of bringing this upon himself instead of stopping the bullies. Whilst such extreme cases are thankfully rare, there remains a common perception amongst students that teachers lack the skill to handle instances of bullying. Students feel that this lack of preparedness leads to teachers trivialising bullying, seeking to characterise incidents as friendly banter rather than handling them with the seriousness such episodes demand. As a result, many students feel that reporting bullying to teachers is of little use and are therefore dissuaded from doing so.

What can be done to improve the ability of witnesses to intervene in bullying?

From these findings, it is clear that more must be done in order to equip students and teachers with the requisite skills to deal with bullying. Giving students exposure to conflict de-escalation and mental first-aid techniques, for instance, would bolster their confidence to intervene when witnessing bullying and enable them to help victims in a timely and safe manner. With many secondary schools already dedicating school assemblies and homeroom periods to educating students about the harms of bullying, that time is arguably better utilised if social workers or child psychologists could be invited in to teach practical skills that will enable students to better navigate incidents of bullying.

Equally important is the need to train teachers on how to act when students come and seek help after witnessing bullying. Currently, the Education Bureau offers no teacher training course that is explicitly dedicated to the management of bullying. Whilst certain aspects of bullying (e.g., maintaining school discipline) are covered in other training courses, a comprehensive course that covers topics such as the mental needs of victims and bystanders of bullying and the appropriate procedure for following up allegations of bullying is arguably required. This will ensure that teachers are able to deal with bullying in a timely and professional manner that demonstrates a clear commitment to stamping out bullying in schools. As such, we suggest that the Education Bureau should, in collaboration with relevant non-government organisations and experts, design such a training course and require teachers that are most likely to be in charge of dealing with bullying (e.g., homeroom teachers, school discipline team) to participate in the course.

Given that teenagers spend a significant proportion of their formative years in school and their experience there will likely have a long-lasting impact on their lives, it is important that we provide as welcoming and supportive an environment to them as possible. This will involve giving students and teachers alike the skills and training required to tackle bullying in school and online so that young people can go to school without fear of being bullied and feel safe in the knowledge that everyone around them is able to lend a helping hand when required.

Originally published in hina Daily on August 18, 2023