Primary schoolboy traumatised after bullying and being slapped by teacher

KOTA BHARU – A boy who was bullied by a classmate and later slapped by the classmate’s father, a teacher at the same school, has been left deeply traumatised, with doctors warning that the memory will stay with him for life.

The incident took place in Aug 2023 in Kota Bharu when the boy, then in year two, was repeatedly bullied by a female classmate.

According to his mother, Shila (not her real name), the girl often poked his ears and buttocks with a pencil for nearly two months.

“The incident reached its peak when my son could no longer tolerate it and retaliated by trying to kick her, but his leg got caught on a school bag,” she said.

Shila said the girl then complained to her father, who was an ustaz and a teacher at the school.

“After his daughter complained, the teacher slapped my son more than three times on both cheeks, right in front of the other students,” she told Sinar.

Shila, who works as an assistant medical officer, said she was shocked to see her son’s cheeks red and swollen when he came home from school.

Photo for illustrative purposes only. - Photo: CANVA

“Just imagine, he was slapped in front of everyone and no one defended him. Worse still, the incident was covered up to protect the school’s image,” she said.

Following the incident, her son developed an intense fear of the teacher.

“He refused to enter the school. At the gate, he would cry as soon as he saw the ustaz’s car.

“At night, he suffered night terrors and was traumatised for months. He needed nearly two years of psychological treatment to recover,” she explained.

The boy, the second of three siblings, refused to attend school for over two weeks and eventually had to be transferred.

“Although the case was reported to police and the teacher was fined by the court and later transferred, my son’s psychological scars remain. The doctor said the dark memory will stay with him forever,” Shila said.