BULLYING AMONGST ORANG ASLI CHILDREN: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY IN AN ORANG ASLI PRIMARY SCHOOL IN THE KLANG VALLEY, MALAYSIA

Abstract

This paper discusses Indigenous children and bullying based on a study done amongst the Orang Asli children in Bukit Lanjan, Malaysia. In the past, Indigenous children globally were exploited for labour, systemically bullied and racially discriminated in schools, forced into assimilation with mainstream societies, and others which led to mental health issues, intergenerational trauma, substance abuse, death and even high dropout rates in schools. In Malaysia, the dropout rates among Orang Asli children are dramatically higher than the national average even after initiatives by the government are made to improve their literacy and attendance. As it is essential to track the link between bullying and high dropout rates, this paper explores if bullying is experienced by Orang Asli children in SK Bukit Lanjan, Malaysia and if it exists, then how are they manifested, and how do these children react. This is incumbent to see how bullying can be overcome among Orang Asli children so that they can retain in schools. Based on this qualitative case study, Orang Asli children have experienced bullying in various forms namely physical, verbal, social and sexual harassment. As a consequence, the children seek social support like confiding in their parents, teachers or friends and individual agency, where they write in their diary, introspect, read, do arts and crafts and even play sports to cope with bullying. The main recommendation to overcome bullying among others is to recognise through the education system that the Orang Asli have rights over issues that affect them, include them in decision-making processes, develop an Orang Asli-friendly approach in schools, and lastly, evaluate the effectiveness of bullying interventions in Orang Asli schools.

Keywords: bullying, culture, dropout, education, Indigenous, Orang Asli