Reviewing statistics on school violence undermining the mental health of Thai youth in 2025, the Department of Health Service Support found that 65.54% of Thai youth have experienced bullying. The Consumer Council revealed survey results covering four dimensions of school violence.
On August 7, 2026, a Grade 9 student at Thepsirin School in Nonthaburi carried out a shooting both on school grounds and at home before taking their own life. The tragedy resulted in 8 deaths (6 at school, 2 at home) and 22 injuries.
This incident raised societal questions about the motive behind the act, with some speculating whether it was caused by bullying or violence within the school.
According to data from the Department of Health Service Support (DHSS) which conducted a survey on September 8, 2025, regarding school violence, surveying 41,944 children and youth aged 7-25 in 2025. It found that over 65.54% had experienced bullying. Such violence significantly affected the victims’ mental health, with more than one in four having thoughts of self-harm. This indicates that children and youth who are bullied often suffer long-term physical and psychological effects.
Meanwhile, the Consumer Council surveyed 798 respondents from April 8-22, 2025, finding that 42%, or 337 people, had experienced or witnessed school violence. The violence was categorized into four main dimensions:
showed that hitting was the most common behavior at 62.6%, followed by punching at 52.8% and kicking at 37.7%, reflecting inappropriate use of power and force.
included emotional abuse, which was the most frequent at 68.7%, followed by gossip and sarcastic remarks at 63.3%, and mockery of body shape or personality at 52.8%, reflecting devaluation of others.
included mocking or shaming in front of many people and talking behind someone's back or spreading rumors, each at 50.1%, with exclusion from groups at 31.8%, reflecting social isolation tactics.
involved posting insulting or derogatory messages at 27.6%, spreading rumors at 13.5%, and excluding individuals from online groups at 12.9%, illustrating use of cyber tools for bullying.
Among the 798 students surveyed, 92.3% believed the main cause of the problem was fellow students, followed by social and media influences at 27.9%, and teachers or school staff at 17.5%.
These findings reveal that school violence stems from multiple factors. Surveys by the DHSS and Consumer Council reflect that violence has become normalized in daily life, especially in schools, which should be safe places for learning and growth.
The Education Subcommittee of the Consumer Council gathered feedback from various sectors through surveys and public forums, synthesizing six key proposals for the Ministry of Education to promote Thai schools as safe environments for all students:
1. Establish accessible mental health care systems by allocating sufficient resources, training teachers to provide in-depth student support, and implementing monitoring systems for at-risk individuals.
2. Improve infrastructure safety by enhancing security measures in schools, such as secure restrooms, strict control of e-cigarettes and drugs, and prevention of unauthorized persons.
3. Address cyberbullying seriously by incorporating online rights and violence issues into curricula and training teachers to understand these problems.
4. Protect children's rights and create participatory spaces by providing safe complaint channels and enabling students and student councils to monitor and communicate issues.
5. Strengthen family roles in mental health care by educating parents on depression and risky behaviors to make homes safe environments.
6. Develop sex education and sexual harassment prevention by training teachers and students on bodily rights, sexual diversity, and establishing counseling centers in schools.
These proposals stem from collaboration among various sectors, emphasizing that creating safe schools is not the responsibility of any single party but requires joint effort to ensure children grow up effectively and safely.