ISSN: 0973-5089 | [email protected]

Thai Culture: The Foundation of School Bullying

Natthapon Sokantat, Sunee Kanyajit, Suppakorn Poonyarith

Mahidol University, Nakhom Pathom, Thailand

Phongthon Thanyasiri

Ministry of Justice, Bangkok, Thailand

Noppawan Unmarerng

Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia

Abstract:

The purpose of the study of the Thai cultural foundation of school bullying was to explore correlations between Thai culture and bullying in secondary school. The qualitative research was conducted with 15 samples who were parent, teachers, school principals and academics. The quantitative research was carried out with 400 students in secondary school. The research found that all aspects of school bullying had positive correlations (verbal bullying, social bullying, physical bullying, and cyberbullying). If one aspect increased, another correlative aspect also increased. According to the above results, all types of bullying were related to traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Bullying behaviors of students in Thailand were partly caused by the Thai cultural foundation, namely, it lacked awareness that bullying was only considered greeting and joking. Therefore, it was necessary to provide knowledge to students at this age so that they would acknowledge bullying behaviors and possible impacts of bullying and create a school's safety culture, and establish a center for especially receiving a report of bullying in school. This center shall be responsible for providing knowledge and prevention and helping to unravel if bullying occurs in school.

Keyword:

child and youth, violence, bullying, school, Thailand