This is bad.
Cyber bullying: Out you go!
Submitted by shaza on Friday, August 12th, 2011
Cyber-bullyLocalCommunity
Students can be expelled over Internet torment, warns Education Ministry
Andrew Sagayam
Friday, August 12th, 2011 11:52:00
PETALING JAYA: Schools cannot turn their backs on students who fall victims to bullying even if the act took place in cyberspace.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong told The Malay Mail regardless of where the offence was committed, the victim remains a student and the ministry views any type of bullying cases seriously.
"It doesn't matter where the bullying happened even online on social networking sites, they are still students and at the end of the day such incidents should not happen in the first place.
"Should there be any case of bullying, the victim should report the matter immediately, first to a teacher, a disciplinary teacher and the headmaster. If any of these superiors refuse to take up the case, then the student should report straight to the ministry. We will investigate and take action," he told The Paper That Cares when asked to comment on the rise of such cases in the country.
Wee was referring to the case of a 14-year-old school girl who turned to alcohol as she could no longer face cyberbullying by her schoolmates, through a social networking site. Her school teacher dismissed her complaints claiming the offense did not take place on school grounds.
He said action could be taken on teachers who did care for the welfare of students in the first place. Wee advised the said victim of a cyberbullying, the teenage girl who turned to alcohol in her desperate battle against her schoolmate bullies over the Internet.
The Malay Mail on Aug 1 highlighted her plight.
Schools must act against Internet bullies too, says NUTP
SCHOOLS must take action against students who bully, including on the Internet, before the situation gets out of hand, said National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng.
"With the presence of the Internet, school bullies have yet another way of getting to their victims. In school, the bullies may have limited time in harassing their victims but with social networking sites, victims have no reprieve from these bullies who can continue posting hurtful messages at any time they wish to," she told The Malay Mail.
"Such bullying on the Internet are an infringement of human rights too. This is because by posting an insulting comment on the Internet about another person, the wider world can see it. This directly defames the victim."
Lok urged school authorities, the Education Ministry and the police to team up in tackling bullying which has become problematic in certain schools.
"The authorities should formulate preventive measures to deter bullying at schools, including on the Internet," she said.
"Students must be aware they cannot post damaging comments about others on the Internet where culprits should not be allowed to get away free."
Star News paper
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