KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 — A five-year-old walked into the kindergarten washroom, following her classmate, unaware of the trouble ahead.

As she turned to close the cubicle door, her classmate slammed it shut from the outside, trapping her inside.

Overcome with anxiety, the child pleaded for her classmate to let her out. Instead, she was met with loud laughter and left alone.

She soon realised her classmate had tricked her into the restroom, coaxing her into a cubicle with a faulty door.

A teacher eventually came to the five-year-old’s aid.

While no one was physically harmed in this incident, was it an act of bullying? How can one tell if they are being or were bullied?

What is bullying?

Bullying is an intentional and aggressive pattern meant to hurt, intimidate, or manipulate a person.

It can be carried out through actions or words and may occur in different ways across various platforms.

Who can be a bully?

Practically anyone can be a bully, as long as they articulate actions or words that constitute bullying.

How do you know if you are a victim?

Bullying may involve feelings of fear, hurt, intimidation, belittling, degradation, threats, manipulation, violence, or helplessness.

Where does bullying happen?

Bullying can happen anywhere — in physical or virtual spaces — as long as there is interaction between individuals.

Do you always know the bully?

Not necessarily. Bullies can be loved ones, friends, acquaintances, or even strangers. They do not need to know their victim; bullying can happen as long as there is intention.

Types of bullying

Bullying can take many forms, including physical, emotional, mental, verbal, visual, virtual, racial, religious, sexual, social, or related to disability.

Can bullying become a crime?

Yes, it can. Some bullying cases result in severe injury or death. In such instances, laws may be used to address the crime.

Although some perpetrators are punished, the issue persists as there are no universal methods to detect or prevent bullying. Many consider it an unfortunate aspect of human nature.

Bullying: A shared responsibility

While bullying may seem like an inevitable part of human interactions, addressing it requires collective effort from parents, educators and society at large.

Identifying the signs early and fostering an environment of kindness and respect can help prevent such behaviours from escalating.

Every act of bullying, no matter how minor it may seem, can leave a lasting impact on the victim, sometimes affecting their mental and physical health for years.

By recognising harmful behaviours and promoting empathy, we can create safer spaces for everyone, starting with our children.

* If you are lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, Befrienders offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day. A full list of Befrienders contact numbers and state operating hours is available here: www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia. There are also free hotlines for young people: Talian Kasih at 15999 (24/7); Talian BuddyBear at 1800-18-2327(BEAR)(daily 12pm-12am); Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); and Jakim’s Family, Social and Community Care Centre (WhatsApp 0111-959 8214).