Bullying among Thai children and youth: A growing concern
Department of Health Service Support highlights the alarming prevalence of bullying among Thai children and youth, with over 65% having experienced bullying.
Dr Panuwat Panket, Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support, revealed that bullying among Thai children and youth is a common issue that occurs frequently. Bullying is not limited to schools but can take place anywhere, including at home or online, making it a more pervasive problem than many realise.
The Department, through the Health Education Division, has been monitoring bullying behaviour in Thai children and youth. In collaboration with local monitoring networks, data were collected from 41,944 children and youth aged 7-25 in 2025. The results showed that 65.54% of children and youth had experienced bullying.
The top five types of bullying found were:
- Name-calling related to family members (40.97%)
- Mocking physical appearance or personality (37.95%)
- Being followed or stalked, causing discomfort (30.38%)
- Physical violence such as kicking, hitting, slapping, pushing (28.28%)
- Being belittled or ignored, such as in humiliation or dismissal of opinions (26.27%)
The survey also found that most bullying incidents were carried out by peers (73.53%), with schools being the most common location for bullying (83.35%).
The impact of bullying on victims is significant, with most feeling ashamed (61.53%), angry or seeking revenge (54.52%), exhausted and lacking energy (51.38%), and over a quarter (29.03%) experiencing thoughts of self-harm.
Dr Adisorn Wattanasak, Deputy Director-General of the Department, added that the data shows bullying victims often suffer both physically and mentally, potentially leading to depression, anxiety, self-harming behaviors, or other long-term behavioural issues.
To create a safer environment and better support the mental health of Thai children and youth, the Department will work with relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and the Department of Mental Health. The department will focus on addressing risk factors and promoting programs to modify bullying behaviour, while also strengthening communication to raise awareness of the impact of bullying.
