A survey conducted by the Health Promotion Center under the Ministry of Health showed that one in five students are or have been subjected to bullying in Brunei.
About 21% of 2,599 surveyed students said they suffered from bullying at schools, according to a survey by Projek Assalamualaikum, a component of a community work project falling under the Young Executive Programme Cohort 3, Borneo Bulletin reported.
The survey was jointly launched by six government departments.
The program, titled “Be a Buddy Not a Bully,” aims to teach students to be supportive of each other and install moral values such as compassion, respect and kindness.
In addition, it will also help teachers and parents fight bullying by forming systematic procedures as well as a reporting system.
Project leader Pengiran Salimatul Sa’ada said bullying was derived from negative elements including intolerance and unresolved anger. He added that people need to understand the meaning behind Assalamualaikum – a greeting in Islam that brings a message to uplift each other.
The project has been running since Aug. 20 and will continue till Oct. 13.