Nearly 20% of Vietnamese students experience bullying several times a month: OECD survey

The results of the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on September 8, indicate that 19.9% of Vietnamese junior high school students reported experiencing bullying several times a month. This figure slightly exceeds the OECD average of 19.6% and is higher than in several Asian countries, including South Korea (13.5%), Japan (15.7%), and Thailand (18.2%). Among the forms of bullying, teasing was the most common, with approximately 15.8% of students reporting it. This was followed by the spread of malicious rumors (8.7%), threats, physical assault, and posting information online (2.7% to 3.5%). In the previous PISA 2022 assessment, about 17% of Vietnamese female students and 19% of male students reported being victims of bullying at least a few times a month. These figures were lower than the OECD averages of 3% and 2%, respectively. Specifically regarding online bullying, the survey results suggest that male students in Vietnam are more likely to be victims than female students. There were no significant differences based on school location (urban vs. rural) or type (public vs. private). Compared to other forms of bullying, online bullying was found to have the most significant and clear negative impact on academic performance. Data from 82 out of 86 surveyed countries and economies showed that students who experienced cyberbullying had science scores 13-90 points lower than their peers from similar socio-economic backgrounds. Furthermore, students who spent 60 hours or more online per week were 7-8% more likely to be bullied, a rate 2-4 times higher than those who used the internet for 20-40 hours. School bullying, often referred to as school violence, has been a persistent problem in Vietnam for many years. In late June, President and General Secretary Tô Lâm pointed out the complex nature of school violence and the need for prompt resolution. Government leadership has also emphasized the issue in directives regarding key tasks for the new academic year. Consequently, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Education and Training are set to collaborate on developing plans to manage mobile phone and social media usage by grade level, aiming to mitigate risks and prevent online-driven school violence, as well as control harmful online content affecting students. Relevant ministries and agencies are also tasked with proactively preventing, detecting early, and addressing acts of violence. Schools are urged to focus on psychological counseling and fostering a positive school culture and a safe educational environment. PISA is a triennial international assessment of student learning, with Vietnam participating since 2012. The 2025 assessment will involve approximately 765,000 students from 91 countries and economies, marking the largest participation to date. Source: VnExpress