SHAH ALAM – The growing influence of “red pill” and “alpha male” content among Malaysian boys, coupled with neglect of mental health and family conflict, is driving a worrying rise in school violence, experts have warned.
Crime expert R. Paneir Selvam stated the surge of these toxic ideologies, often spread by influencers like Andrew Tate, which promote dominance, control over women and emotional suppression.
“Young boys, especially those feeling insecure or powerless, may adopt these views and imitate them in real life,” he said.
He warned that such beliefs can lead to bullying, misogyny and the notion that violence equals strength.
“Teachers report boys repeating these ideas in school, showing growing disrespect toward girls,” he added.
According to experts, each case of violence is unique, rarely caused by a single factor, and requires holistic reform involving schools, parents, and the wider community.
Paneir highlighted that several overlapping factors contribute to the surge in school violence.
Mental health neglect is a key issue, as students often face stress, trauma, or bullying but lack access to mental health support.
He clarified that many schools do not have enough counsellors or proactive programmes to help students manage their emotions.
“Family issues like domestic violence, parental neglect, or broken homes may also influence aggressive behaviour in school,” he added.
Paneir also pointed to weak school discipline, where warning signs like bullying are often ignored until incidents escalate.
He also stated that social media normalises violence.
“Viral videos of fights or aggressive behaviour can make violence seem acceptable or even admirable,” he said, adding that "rewarding bad behaviour when violent acts gain views and likes encourages others to copy them to gain online clout.”
He criticised the current reactive approach, saying most schools lack proactive counselling systems.
“Some schools have just one counsellor for over 1,000 students,” he said, adding that parents also lack the tools to manage children’s emotional or behavioural issues.
Paneir called for regulating toxic online content, incorporating emotional intelligence and gender respect into education and training teachers and parents to recognise early signs of distress.
The complex roots of violence
Meanwhile, psychologist and criminologist Dr Geshina Ayu Mat Saat cautioned against blaming social media alone.
“Social media is a tool and not everyone who uses it becomes violent. Immediate family environment, neighbourhood and school also have roles that together enable violence to occur,” she added.
She said parental involvement is crucial. “Even when there are Parent-Teachers Association (PIBG) meetings, many parents, especially fathers, don’t turn up; so if parents are not invested, how?” she questioned.
She called for the return of moral and civic classes to teach good values and community engagement.
Geshina described that addressing school violence requires understanding the pro-criminal psyche; the cognitive, emotional and behavioral factors that shape an offender.
She added that a child’s violent behaviour is shaped by both nature and nurture.
She urged proactive and reactive prevention through education, teacher retraining, strong victim support and transparent investigations.
Collective responsibility and accountability
Echoing similar views, criminologist Nadiah Syariani Md Shariff said school violence is not new but is now more visible due to media coverage and the severity of cases.
“High exposure to content that promotes dominance and aggression creates learning paths through observation and imitation,” she said.
Nadiah stated that repeated exposure to such content normalises hostility. She highlighted that children’s attitudes often reflect their parents, who are the first to model values.
Nadiah called for balanced parenting and fair school systems, noting that an overly protective system can lead students to believe there is less accountability for wrongdoings.
Earlier on Tuesday (Oct 14), a female student from a school in Bandar Utama in Petaling Jaya died after she was allegedly stabbed by a male student.
The incident is believed to have taken place at around 9.30am, after the boy reportedly brought a sharp weapon, believed to be a knife, to school.
According to initial information, the suspect is believed to have attacked and stabbed the victim during school hours.