Psychiatrist Warns of Rising Bullying Crisis Harming Thai Youth Mental Health
A child psychiatrist warns that bullying in Thailand is fueling a mental health crisis among youth, with cyberbullying particularly severe as it follows children 24/7 through social media and can cause lasting psychological damage including
As Thai society emphasizes academic performance, success, and online image, many children are growing up with invisible psychological wounds from remarks that adults or peers dismiss as mere joking. For children, such comments can mark the beginning of lost confidence, diminished self-worth, and eroded joy in life.
Digital-age bullying does not end at school but follows children everywhere through messages, comments, and social media 24 hours a day, becoming a silent crisis threatening the mental health of Thai children and adolescents continuously.
Dr. Pranee Pavincana, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Rama IX Hospital, states that many still view bullying as harmless teasing or normal childhood behavior, but from a mental health perspective, bullying is a form of violence that inflicts psychological wounds as serious as physical harm, and sometimes these effects stay with children for life.
Currently, many children affected by bullying have developed mental health issues and psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and self-harm behaviors, with continuously rising trends.
Bullying has become increasingly complex and diverse, divided into five main forms: physical bullying such as hitting, slapping, kicking, or injuring; verbal bullying such as mocking, ridicule, sarcasm, or insults; psychological and relational bullying such as exclusion, ignoring, or making someone feel invisible; property bullying such as hiding, stealing, or destroying belongings; and cyberbullying, which is currently an especially concerning problem.
Dr. Pranee notes that modern bullying is more severe and dangerous than in the past, especially cyberbullying involving doctored images of children, leaked embarrassing videos, spreading rumors, or mobilizing large numbers of people to attack through social media, causing children's psychological state to be repeatedly shaken each time such content is shared or forwarded.
When accumulated pain becomes overwhelming, children may begin showing mental health warning signs including sadness, stress, anxiety, unusual irritability, social withdrawal, increased phone use, crying while using devices, school refusal, rejecting family communication, or increased aggressive behavior. In some cases, children may begin self-harm.
Dr. Pranee states that solving the bullying problem requires cooperation from all sectors including family, school, and society. Schools should have serious zero-tolerance policies toward all forms of bullying. Addressing bullying is not about finding fault but about stopping cycles of violence so no child becomes a victim or grows up perpetuating violence against others. Meanwhile, help should cover both victims and perpetrators, as many bullying children are themselves facing family problems, daily violence, or untreated mental health issues.
The most important factor in protecting children from bullying is building good family relationships and fostering self-esteem in children from a young age. Children with strong self-esteem and confidence have good psychological resilience. Sometimes just a few words can destroy a child's future, while listening with understanding even once may heal a child's heart for life.
