Rethinking bullying in Singapore’s schools

[SINGAPORE] Bullying in Singapore’s schools is no longer just about playground fights or whispered insults—it’s a quiet epidemic unfolding behind screens, in social circles, and within young minds. Despite official data suggesting low incidence, recent surveys show nearly a third of secondary school students have been bullied, many without ever reporting it. This gap reveals not just a statistical oversight, but a cultural one: our systems and attitudes are failing to create an environment where students feel safe speaking up. To tackle bullying effectively, we need more than policies—we need a societal rethink about listening, support, and shared responsibility.

The Many Faces of Hidden Harm

Bullying in today’s Singapore is multifaceted. Gone are the days when it was confined to physical shoves or playground taunts; now, emotional, social, and cyberbullying dominate. According to a recent CNA survey, nearly 30% of secondary school students report experiencing bullying, yet official MOE figures record just six reported cases per 1,000 students. This discrepancy points to underreporting driven by fear of retaliation or social stigma.

The impact is profound. A May 2025 Lancet Public Health paper highlights that mental health disorders are a leading cause of death among Singaporean youth, with self-harm topping injury-related deaths in ages 20–24. Bullying, often the spark for anxiety, depression, and isolation, is deeply intertwined with this crisis. The fact that most victims turn to friends or parents—if they tell anyone at all—rather than teachers or counselors, underlines the breakdown of trust in institutional help.

Policy Efforts Meet Cultural Barriers

The Ministry of Education has invested in anti-bullying programs through its Character and Citizenship Education curriculum, peer support initiatives, teacher training, and collaborations with police and mental health professionals. Yet despite these efforts, bullying remains entrenched. Critics argue that interventions are often reactive—focused on handling incidents after they arise rather than fostering environments that prevent harm in the first place.

What’s missing is a reckoning with the deeper cultural context. Singapore’s high-pressure academic environment, combined with societal expectations of resilience, creates conditions where students may feel silenced or invalidated. Asst Prof Cheung Hoi Shan from the National Institute of Education observes that many parents still advise children to “just ignore it,” reflecting a mindset that diminishes emotional pain. Without changing the way we talk about vulnerability and support, even the best-designed policies will struggle to reach the children who need them most.

Building a Culture of Listening and Compassion

If stricter rules and more surveillance aren’t the full solution, what is? The answer may lie in a cultural pivot: shifting from focusing solely on punishing bullies to creating safe spaces for dialogue and healing. Schools, families, and communities need to actively cultivate trust, where students feel genuinely heard and supported.

This means moving beyond lectures and assembly talks. It’s about everyday interactions—teachers asking students, “What’s been hard for you lately?” or parents saying, “Who makes you feel small or left out?” Such questions, simple as they seem, open the door for honest conversations that can defuse harm before it escalates.

Importantly, the focus should extend to bullies themselves. Many perpetrators act out due to their own unaddressed pain or insecurities. By integrating social-emotional learning and restorative practices into school life, we can help break the cycles of harm and empower both victims and aggressors to heal and grow.

What We Think

Singapore’s approach to bullying needs an upgrade—not just in policy, but in mindset. While official programs and disciplinary measures play an important role, they cannot replace the cultural foundations of empathy, trust, and open dialogue. Every child deserves to feel that their pain is seen and their voice matters.

At Open Privilege, we believe the most meaningful change starts not in government offices, but in classrooms, living rooms, and conversations. By shifting from “toughen up” to “tell me what’s hurting,” we can rewrite the narrative around bullying. Healing the hidden wounds of our youth requires all of us—parents, educators, peers, and policymakers—to listen harder, care deeper, and dare to imagine schools where no child feels invisible.