Singaporeans Don't just rely on schools teaching empathy to tackle bullying
While I agree with the importance of teaching children empathy, I fear that relying on it to tackle bullying in schools would be an uphill battle (Teach students to develop empathy for others, March 20).

As long as our culture promotes laughing at others' discomfort and misfortune, children from a very young age will see this as "fun" enjoyed by role models.

Whether popularised by actors or animation characters, slapstick comedy has always been propagated by situations such as someone slipping on a banana peel thrown in his path by another person, or someone getting wet after a bucket of water falls over him as he opens a door, and so on.

The victim never gets seriously hurt and is none the worse for the experience. Neither sympathy for him nor remorse is shown by the perpetrator.

On the contrary, everyone watching finds it very funny and laughs at the amusement. Little wonder then, that bullies say they do it because it is fun.

I suggest parents supervise what their little ones watch and give them proper moral education through appropriate comments like "Oh that wasn't very nice of Tom to do that to Jerry", or "Poor Jerry!"

Along the same line of reasoning, we should also, from a young age, correct children who laugh at those with disabilities - for example, those who limp awkwardly with flailing arms or the visually impaired who may bump into walls or trip.

Waiting for schools to educate children on empathy would be too late.

Amy Loh Chee Seen

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-dont-just-rely-on-schools-teaching-empathy-to-tackle-bullying

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