Nik Nur Ainin Soffiya Nik Mat
Malaysia’s schools are facing a stark and disturbing crisis.
Reported bullying cases surged from 3,887 in 2022 to 7,681 in 2024, which is a nearly 100% increase in two years.
Among these numbers are horrifying incidents: a 14-year-old boy stabbing a 16-year-old classmate in Selangor, reportedly after she rejected him and a 15-year-old girl being gang-raped in Malacca, with the assault recorded and circulated online.
The rise in school violence has led to a crucial discussion between parents, teachers and the community.
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The fact is, these incidents are not isolated and they signal a wave of violence increasingly rooted in gendered online discourse.
Still, one area unaddressed is this phenomenon’s linguistic origins.
The language used online, including misogynistic content, shapes attitudes and behaviours that lead to physical and verbal aggression in schools.
Research shows a link between exposure to misogynistic content online and aggressive behaviour among youth. A 2025 study of 200 teachers indicates that 76% of secondary and 60% of primary school educators in the UK expressed concern over the spread of online misogyny in schools.
These teachers disclosed that male students often mimic online influencers, making sexist remarks or behaving violently towards peers and school staff.
Online platforms could become fertile ground for gendered hate speech and extremist views towards women. Linguistics professor Deborah Cameron warns that social media is fuelling a new wave of misogyny, as it perpetuates dehumanising language and normalises aggression against women and girls.
Constant and repeated exposure to misogynistic discourse harms women and girls. In online echo chambers, misogynistic rhetoric is reproduced through memes, comments and posts that normalise derogatory language towards women and girls, framing them as inferior and hyper-sexualised.
These social media interactions amplify harmful ideologies that legitimise all forms of aggression towards women.
Schools are institutions of values and spaces for shaping future citizens. When students internalise misogynistic views, they reproduce them in peer interactions. These can manifest in verbal harassment, bullying and, devastatingly, physical violence.
Research shows that language is not neutral and can be deployed as a tool of dominance. When boys are socialised into asserting dominance through sexist jokes or slurs, these linguistic acts become precursors to physical acts of aggression.
Moreover, the normalisation of violence against women and girls can be found in phrases that seem innocent: “Boys will be boys.” “She asked for it.” “Who asked her to dress that way?”
These phrases create an environment where accountability is diluted. We shift the blame away from the perpetrators and aggressors. We blame the victims. What we are doing through these simple phrases is perpetuating a cycle of harm.
Some have suggested punitive measures to curb school violence.
To stop school violence, we must face the tough truth: our words help sustain gender inequality and hurt women and girls. Our youth must be taught to recognise harmful discourses so they know when to challenge them.
If we want safer schools, we must begin by questioning the words that shape our world. We must question potentially harmful content that is fed to our children by algorithms.
This conversation was especially urgent during the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This lasted from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December.
Violence against women in all forms is preventable. The words we use and consume matter. In December 2025, the Oxford English Dictionary named “rage bait” as its word of the year.
It is defined as “Online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically posted in order to increase traffic to or engagement with a particular web page or social media account.” This concept speaks directly to the culture that fuels online misogyny.
Social media algorithms that amplify “rage bait” content, including sexist memes, normalise aggression and hatred towards women. Hostile, dehumanising language used online can translate into real-world harm.
As Parliament advances the Anti-bullying Bill 2025, let us ensure it champions education that supports gender equity.
When language becomes a focal point in reform efforts, we can uproot harmful misogynistic narratives that incubate violence against women and girls.
Schools, parents and communities must work together to challenge harmful language. They must educate young people about respect and equality. And they must advocate for policies that protect women and girls.
We need to build a culture where every child feels safe and valued. Change starts with us.
Dr Nik Nur Ainin Soffiya Nik Mat is a senior lecturer at the Department of English Language, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya.
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