Recent tragedies involving young girls in schools across Malaysia, from Sabah to Negeri Sembilan, Melaka to Selangor, have jolted the nation’s collective conscience.

Though separated by geography, these devastating incidents echo one another in grief, trauma, and unanswered questions. Each young life, full of promise, has been deeply scarred, and in some cases, lost.

These incidents remind us that safety is not simply about walls or procedures, but about compassion, connectedness, and care.

We must now ask, with urgency and sincerity: are our schools truly safe?

The roots of a growing crisis

When viewed through both gendered and social lenses, the rise of violence in schools reveals deep fractures within our communities.

While toxic notions of masculinity have often been blamed for aggression, recent incidents reveal that violence among youth is no longer confined to any one gender. Many children are growing up in environments that prize dominance over dialogue, performance over compassion, and validation over empathy and emotional intelligence.

Violence and apathy, once rare, are becoming ordinary. These are symptoms of emotional voids adults have left unhealed. When empathy disappears, safety collapses.

Violence in schools should never be dismissed as a simple failure of discipline. It is a mirror reflecting emotional neglect, family breakdown, and social desensitisation. We have taught our youth how to compete, but not how to care.

A crisis of care and connection

Schools should be sanctuaries, places where every child feels seen, valued, and protected. Yet too often, academic achievement overshadows emotional wellbeing.

Teachers are overburdened, counsellors remain scarce, and parents are stretched thin. In such an environment, silence grows, and harm festers in the shadows.

Safety cannot be defined solely by fences, alarms, or disciplinary rules. It begins with trust, empathy, and proactive care.

A truly safe school culture is not built by fear, but by people who listen, notice, and act before harm occurs.

This challenge is not unique to Malaysia, but the urgency here is real. Reports and public concern following recent school-based violence highlight the need to move beyond reactive measures.

True safety comes not from surveillance or punishment, but from empathy that binds teachers, students, and parents in shared responsibility.

Global lessons: What the research shows

Across the world, evidence-based practices have shown what can be done to build safer, more compassionate schools.

Research and frameworks developed by institutions such as WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, and leading universities including Stanford and Toronto consistently highlight one truth: empathy can be taught, nurtured, and sustained through deliberate educational practice.

1. Whole-School Violence Prevention Frameworks

The School-based Violence Prevention Handbook by WHO, UNESCO, and UNICEF advocates embedding safety and empathy into everyday school culture through inclusive practices and community partnerships.

Schools that adopt whole-school frameworks report reduced violence and improved trust.

2. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Empathy Programmes

Studies from the University of Toronto show that programmes teaching empathy, perspective-taking, and emotional regulation not only reduce aggression but also enhance academic performance and resilience. SEL is not a “soft skill”, it is a foundational life skill.

3. Restorative Practices

Rather than relying solely on punishment, restorative approaches focus on accountability, reconciliation, and relationship repair.

Schools that implement restorative circles and peer mediation report lower conflict rates and better student wellbeing.

4. Teacher Empathy Interventions

Research from Stanford University shows that when teachers respond to misbehaviour with empathy rather than punishment, student behaviour improves and suspension rates drop dramatically.

Compassionate discipline creates safer, more trusting learning environments.

5. Psychological Support and Early Mental Health Intervention

Violence in schools often stems from untreated trauma. Integrating trained counsellors, mental health programmes, and early intervention systems helps children process emotions safely, preventing escalation into aggression.

6. Bystander and Peer Interventions

Programmes such as Green Dot and Hope Squad empower students to safely intervene when witnessing harm and to support peers in distress.

These initiatives reduce the “bystander effect” and foster shared accountability among students.

7. Culturally Responsive Supports

Effective prevention models must reflect local culture, values, and diversity. Culturally adapted approaches increase trust and engagement – particularly vital in Malaysia’s multicultural society.

8. Child-Centred Safeguarding Models

Frameworks like Barnahus (Children’s House) in Europe provide trauma-sensitive responses to victims of abuse, minimising secondary harm.

Malaysia can adapt such models to ensure victims are treated with dignity and compassion.

What Malaysia Can Do: Building a Culture of Safety and Compassion

To make our schools truly safe, Malaysia must move from reactive responses to proactive systems of care. The following steps can help us reclaim our classrooms as spaces of trust and empathy:

1. Integrate Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)

Embed empathy, communication, and emotional regulation within the national curriculum from early education onwards. SEL should be as fundamental as literacy and numeracy.

2. Train Teachers in Empathic and Trauma-Aware Approaches

Equip teachers to identify emotional distress, de-escalate conflict, and respond with understanding rather than punishment. Compassionate teachers are the first line of prevention.

3. Adopt Restorative Justice Practices

Implement restorative circles and guided dialogues that allow healing, accountability, and forgiveness to co-exist.

4. Expand Counselling and Psychological Support

Improve the counsellor-to-student ratio, and ensure every district has access to qualified psychologists and mental health resources.

5. Introduce Safe and Anonymous Reporting Channels

Create confidential systems for students to report bullying, harassment, or abuse safely, free from stigma or fear of retaliation.

6. Empower Students through Bystander and Peer Programmes

Train students to recognise early warning signs, support peers in need, and take safe, responsible action.

7. Foster Collaboration Across Sectors

Engage schools, parents, healthcare providers, NGOs, and law enforcement in a united safeguarding network. Protecting children requires a whole-of-society approach.

8. Monitor, Evaluate, and Improve Continuously

Regular audits, student feedback, and research-driven evaluations should guide the evolution of school safety initiatives.

9. Legislate Stronger Child Protection Policies

Embed safeguarding training, accountability, and enforcement mechanisms within the National Education Policy framework.

Align these with the goals of the Education Development Plan 2026–2035, which aims not only to close academic and resource-based equity gaps, but also to nurture emotional wellbeing and empathy as central to every child’s development.

Reclaiming our schools with compassion

The measure of a society lies not in its grades, but in its grace. Every child deserves to walk into a classroom feeling safe, heard, and valued.

If we are to rebuild that trust, we must place compassion at the heart of education.

Safety is not a checklist; it is a culture. That culture begins with empathy from every teacher, parent, policymaker, and child.

Only when compassion returns to our classrooms can learning, healing, and hope truly begin.

If we teach our children empathy today, we will not have to heal their pain tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA

Ts Dr Manivannan Rethinam, a Professional Technologist (Ts), holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, specialising in marketing and technology management. He serves on the Safe from Harm Global Panel of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM), contributing to global safeguarding efforts that protect more than 60 million youth and adult members across 224 countries and territories.

As Chairman of Majlis Gagasan Malaysia, he is a passionate advocate for civil liberties, interfaith harmony, and social justice. His work is driven by a commitment to fostering compassion, unity, and inclusivity as the foundation for a more equitable society. Through dialogue and collaboration, he strives to bridge divides and create a better future for all Malaysians.