Schools in Singapore must remain vigilant against cyberbullying, Latest Singapore News

Schools are encouraged to stay abreast of cyber trends and issues, for example through Ministry of Education (MOE) resources, said a leading school counselor from the ministry’s guidance department.

Students also play an active role in alerting teachers when there are new online trends and platforms that are of concern, said Ms Jane Lim.

“In my current role supporting school counselors, I have noticed that incidents of cyberbullying often extend from offline hurtful behavior to online platforms and occur alongside other forms of bullying,” she added.

For example, some students may make “hurtful comments” to their peers on social media or messaging apps, or create fake social media profiles pretending to be others.

MOE was responding to questions from The Straits Times about the recent spate of headline-grabbing bullying cases, and how schools deal with reports of bullying and implement anti-bullying measures.

In September, two videos of bullying incidents surfaced online, showing primary and secondary school students hitting their fellow schoolmates.

“Bullying is not acceptable and has no place in our schools,” MOE said, adding that students learn values ​​such as respect, care and empathy during character and citizenship education (CCE).

“They learn to run away from bullies and seek help from trusted adults.

“These lessons extend to cyberspace, where the CCE curriculum teaches students to be respectful and responsible learners online.”

Dr. Annabelle Chow, clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology and Annabelle Kids, said her clinic has seen an increase in reported incidents of cyberbullying, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As students spend more time online, social media platforms are increasingly hot spots for online harassment.”

In July 2024, a survey by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information found that 74 percent of internet users encounter harmful content such as cyberbullying or sexual content online, but only a quarter of them report this.

And in February 2024, it was reported that one in five gamers aged 13 to 18 felt bullied by other players in games, according to the then Ministry of Communications and Information’s first online gaming survey of young people.

Cyberbullying and psychological manipulation, such as rumor spreading, online harassment and the use of deepfakes, are more common than people think, says Dr. Chow, because they can be carried out anonymously and easily.

“Cyber ​​bullies hide behind screens, use fake accounts or pseudonyms and avoid detection or consequences,” she said.

“This sense of anonymity encourages individuals to engage in harmful behavior without the same fear of being caught as with traditional bullying.”

Associate Professor of Psychology (Education) Andree Hartanto of the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University said cyberbullying is “often more persistent, psychological and emotional in nature and can quickly spread to a wider audience”.

While physical and verbal bullying typically occurs face-to-face and is limited to specific contexts such as school, cyberbullying is “relentless,” he added.

“Victims can experience harassment 24 hours a day, even within the perceived safety of their home, leading to increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression,” he said, adding that anonymity on digital platforms contributes to a “ feeling of powerlessness” among the victims.

“This lack of control is associated with a higher risk of emotional trauma compared to traditional bullying,” says Prof. Hartanto.

MOE says it provides schools with information on the latest cyber trends and issues, including real-world examples.

Peer Support leaders, who are also students, help keep online and offline spaces safe and alert teachers to cases, it added.

But cyberbullying is more discreet and can be harder to identify, Dr. Chow said.

“Victims may be ashamed to speak up or fear that others will believe manipulated content, such as altered images or videos shared on social media because of their own testimony,” she said. that add anonymity let the bullies target victims without fear of repercussions.