In 2018, parents and guardians whose kids study in Thailand finally got a shock when a damning video of what was always a rumour appeared online. In the heartbreaking video, a group of older school-going girls in their uniforms could be seen taunting, kicking, and bullying a little, hapless girl.
The video further sparked a furious response from social media when it emerged that the 10-year-old girl bullied was, in fact, autistic. What the clip, however, underscored was a justification that Thai government schools are notorious when it comes to kids being bullied.
School-age bullying is rampant in local government schools in Thailand. It has been so for quite a while with the 2015 WHO Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS), highlighting a 33.2% prevalence among 13- to 17-year-olds. The Department of Mental Health reports that about 600,000 kids get bullied every year, with the perpetrators being their peers.
Bullying in Thai schools, as evidenced by the video, takes several forms. It varies from physical and psychological abuse to sexual violence, jeering, and taunting. Worse still, the act is even perpetrated by teachers and other school staff, with girls experiencing it more than boys.
Bullying is almost unheard of in Thai international schools
One surprising fact is that this heinous act is not common in international schools, though it’s easy to see why. The quality of education at most of the international schools in Thailand is so high that students are enlightened on how to handle bullies. Also, cases of kids getting bullied are almost nonexistent, primarily because of how the teachers act harshly on them.
The exceptional British or American curricula taught at the institutions also come with an international perspective whereby the kids see bullying as a backward and nonsensical activity. They never tolerate it too, and never shy away from reporting a suspected bully.
In these schools, all kids are equal and have respect for each other. They socialize, mingle, and make friends among themselves. Out of it all, no pupil gets threatened or undergoes any form of abuse under the watch of other pupils.
As a parent, concerned with the recent cases of bullying in Thailand, therefore, turning to an international school can be your ultimate solution. Remember, the most vulnerable students will always be bullied regardless of whatever measures the government put in place.
If you looking for Thai International School, please visit The American School of Bangkok.