Bullying Incidents on the Rise, Early Prevention in Schools Urged
JAKARTA – Coordinator of the Women on Working Group (WoW) Wilmar Central Kalimantan Project, Sarimanah, urged strengthening anti-bullying prevention efforts in school environments. The move is considered important to protect students while also building the character of the younger generation from an early age.
Sarimanah explained that Wilmar is conducting socialisation of the anti-bullying programme in schools around the company’s operational area. The programme has been running since 2019 through the integration of anti-bullying materials into the Sekolah Bina Bangsa curriculum in Sampit, Central Kalimantan.
“We want to curb the potential occurrence of bullying as early as possible as part of protecting and shaping the character of the younger generation,” Sarimanah said in a Jakarta press statement, quoted Sunday (8/3/2026).
The programme has received positive responses from school authorities, parents, and students. Anti-bullying education is not only delivered through theoretical materials but is also developed through various learning activities that actively involve students.
Through these activities, students learn to recognise signs of bullying, understand the steps for handling and prevention, and receive mentoring if they become victims. Students are also invited to convey anti-bullying messages through various arts performances themed on empathy, friendship, and mutual respect.
Sarimanah assessed that the curriculum implementation has started to show positive impacts in the school environment. “We are seeing positive behavioural changes among students, both in interactions and in resolving conflicts in a healthy way,” she said.
The strengthening of the programme is also achieved through increasing the capacity of the implementing team. The WoW Wilmar team attended training on preventing violence against children and anti-bullying facilitated by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The training provides the team with tools to strengthen the educational approach while expanding the programme’s coverage to other schools in the company’s operational area.
“With the support of these international institutions, we hope to continue to widen the positive impact of this programme to more schools in Wilmar’s operational area,” Sarimanah said.
She hopes that bullying prevention efforts do not stop at the schools under this programme. Broad community support is seen as important so that the collective awareness in preventing bullying becomes even stronger.