Nearly 20% of Vietnamese students report being bullied several times a month: PISA

The call came at a session held by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) under Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital on Monday to discuss school bullying, a form of school violence that can have serious consequences for children's mental health. 

In discussing the PISA data, the NIMH warned that school bullying can lead to depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts.

PISA 2025 results, released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), showed that 19.9 percent of the Vietnamese students surveyed reported being bullied a few times a month, compared with the OECD average of 19.6 percent.

The survey covered 7,353 Vietnamese students from 194 lower-secondary schools nationwide, according to Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper.

Vietnam's rate was higher than those in several Asian countries and economies, including Thailand (18.2 percent), Japan (15.7 percent), South Korea (13.5 percent) and China's Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions (13.1 percent).

Teasing was the most common form of bullying among Vietnamese students, with 15.8 percent saying they had experienced it at least a few times a month, followed by malicious rumors (8.7 percent), threats (3.5 percent), hurtful information posted online without their consent (2.8 percent), and being hit or pushed (2.7 percent).

The data were based on self-reports by participating students, Thanh Nien reported.

Prolonged bullying leaves teen girl with severe depression

The NIMH shared the case of a 15-year-old girl who developed severe depression and suicidal thoughts after being bullied by classmates over an extended period.

Hoang Truong Son, an expert at the NIMH, said the girl began experiencing bullying by a group of classmates midway through eighth grade, after transferring to a new school.

Her classmates teased her, spread false rumors about her, made fun of her relationships, laughed at her when she made mistakes or received poor grades, deliberately excluded her, and sometimes hit her or went too far with their teasing.

The girl tended to endure the treatment without reacting.

Although she told her mother about the bullying and her family raised the issue with her homeroom teacher, the situation did not improve significantly.

She gradually became sad and anxious before going to school, cried easily, withdrew from others, lost interest in drawing, performed worse academically and had trouble sleeping. She also developed low self-esteem and became reluctant to interact with others.

About a week before she sought medical attention, her family discovered multiple injuries on the inside of her forearms, including fresh wounds that were still bleeding.

The girl said she had hurt herself to relieve stress and emotional distress.

Following an examination, she was diagnosed with severe depression without psychotic symptoms and suicidal thoughts.

According to definitions by UNESCO and the World Health Organization, school violence encompasses physical, psychological and sexual violence occurring in and around schools, on the way to school or in cyberspace.

Bullying is a common form of school violence, characterized by intentional harm, repeated behavior over time and an imbalance of power between the person bullying and the victim.

Both victims and bullies need intervention

Nguyen Van Tuan, director of the NIMH, said children who bully others may also have mental health problems.

Some children are both victims and perpetrators of bullying, putting them at greater risk of psychological and behavioral difficulties, he said.

Bullying behavior may sometimes be associated with underlying conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorders and difficulties controlling impulses, or with having witnessed or experienced domestic violence.

Disciplinary measures alone may therefore fail to address the root causes if underlying problems are not assessed, Tuan said.

Bui Nguyen Hong Bao Ngoc, a doctor at the NIMH, said medical staff should prioritize assessing a child's safety, injuries, risk of further attacks and suicidal thoughts when examining suspected cases of school violence.

Children may also need to be assessed for depression, anxiety, trauma and other mental health problems.

Intervention should focus on ensuring their safety, stopping the bullying and providing psychological support, as well as treating any accompanying disorders when necessary, she said.

Children who are bullied may receive cognitive behavioral therapy or trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, depending on their condition.

Medication should be considered only when clinically indicated.

For children who bully others, intervention should combine appropriate non-violent discipline with psychological counseling, emotional self-regulation training and efforts to develop empathy, alongside coordination with their families to address their behavior.

Schools should also establish anti-bullying rules, strengthen supervision, train teachers and work closely with parents, Tuan said.

School bullying is not merely a disciplinary issue but also a mental health concern that requires coordinated efforts by families, schools, the health sector and the wider community to prevent lasting harm to children, he added.