Among students between 10 to 15 years old in Thailand, 91.79 per cent have been bullied, according to a survey of 15 schools, said Athiwat Niemmeesri of the Lawyers for Children and Youth network.

Physical abuse of younger students by their seniors is the most common occurrence accounting for 62.07 per cent, followed by verbal abuse and online bullying.

Athiwat said that Thai society needs to acknowledge the wrongdoing of bullying in schools despite it being seen as a normal behaviour among students.

Thanicha Limpanich, manager of the Family Network Foundation under the Ministry of Public Health said new technologies played a part in intensifying bullying among children.

Thailand is ranked second after Japan among countries with the highest rates of bullying and the victims are getting younger.

Children who bully others usually grew up in a negative environment or possess a genetic trait for violence while bullied children could develop mental conditions such as depression.

“Parents shouldn’t let children face this predicament alone. They should pay attention to any abnormal behaviour such as anxiety, frustration or physical evidence of bullying, discuss with them to find a solution,” said Thanicha.

She also suggested that schools should adopt measures such as having teachers who specialise in this matter.

Ticha Na Nakorn, Director of the Baan Kanjanapisek Juvenile Vocational Training Centre, added that Thai society has let bullying grow by believing that verbal abuse is just an expression.

The suicide rate among children is much higher these days as many feel lonely and vulnerable. Parents and schools should join up for solving the problem.