Prologue - School Bullying & The Right to Defend Yourself – Series Introduction

𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳, 13 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵 2025. 𝘜𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴.

Recently in Malaysia, the nation has been shaken by heartbreaking news about school bullying following the tragic death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir. Her story has brought to light the harsh realities many students face behind school walls and realities that go far beyond mere teasing or childish disputes. It serves as a painful reminder that bullying is not just an unfortunate part of growing up, but a serious issue that threatens the safety, dignity, and even the lives of young people.

Bullying in schools is not just a matter of hurt feelings, it’s a daily threat to their safety, dignity, and mental well-being. While schools often promote the idea of “walk away and tell a teacher,” the reality is far more complex. What happens when walking away isn’t possible? What if the bully doesn’t stop?

In this upcoming 6-part series, I’ll be breaking down the hard truths about school bullying, your right to self-defense, and how to handle situations before, during, and after they happen. Here’s what you can expect:

Part 1 – The 4 Types of Bullying Before we dive into physical confrontations, we’ll identify the four main forms of bullying — physical, verbal, social, and cyber, how each can impact a student’s safety and well-being.

Part 2 – When Bullying Gets Physical We’ll talk about how to recognize when teasing or intimidation has crossed the line into physical danger and what your options are in that critical moment.

Part 3 – The Right to Strike as Defense We’ll explore when it is legally and morally justified to use force, and why “strike first if necessary” can sometimes be the safest choice, while avoiding unnecessary escalation.

Part 4 – Why Traditional “Just Block or Walk Away” Advice Often Fails We’ll break down why common school safety advice doesn’t always work in real-life bullying situations, and how to prepare for scenarios where those methods fall short.

Part 5 – Reporting After an Incident We’ll cover the right way to document and report what happened, how to protect yourself from retaliation, and why the aftermath matters as much as the incident itself.

Part 6 – Building Awareness, Confidence, and Prevention Against Future Targeting We’ll focus on developing mental strength, situational awareness, and personal boundaries so you’re less likely to be targeted in the first place.

Whether you’re a student, parent, or educator, this series aims to give you a realistic, balanced, and responsible view of self-defense in a school setting, because safety should never be left to chance.