Students from Mulaut Primary School participated in talks by the Public Relations Unit, Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) and the Prisons Department yesterday as part of the BEST Week programme (Bantu, Empati, Sayangi, Tanggungjawab).
The programme, an ongoing initiative by the Ministry of Education, is an effort to curb and prevent the symptoms of bullying, including cyberbullying so that it does not occur among students at school.
Siti Habibah binti Haji Mahbub from the Prisons Department shared the conditions and the day-to-day routines of inmates in prison including meal times.
During the educational session, students also witnessed a first-hand caning demonstration handed to both civil and Syariah offenders.
The RBPF briefing, by Mohd Khiroul Azmi bin Mohd Shah, touched on the different types of bullying found in the school environment.
Bullying, he said, refers to aggressive behaviour, in physical or psychological form, held repeatedly to the victim and aims to bring a feeling of discomfort as well as absence of peace, calm and harmony.
Cyberbullying is one form of bullying that occurs through digital platforms such as social media, media applications and websites.
Cyberbullying can have a profound effect on victims, including emotional distress, mental disorders, and in more extreme cases, it can lead to depression. The programme, themed ‘Cyberbullying Awareness’, aims to increase understanding and knowledge, educating students to control themselves to avoid cyberbullying.
The programme also exposes students to the dangers of cyberbullying and its negative effects, with the hope of producing students who are disciplined, respect each other and possess good morals. – Fadhil Yunus
