School should be a place of learning, safety, and growth — yet for many children across Southeast Asia, it can also be a place of fear. A new regional study by SEAMEO and its partners reveals that school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) remains a serious and widespread challenge, threatening children’s rights and reinforcing gender inequalities in classrooms and communities.

What SRGBV Really Means

SRGBV refers to acts or threats of sexual, physical, or psychological violence that occur in or around schools, driven by harmful gender norms, stereotypes, and power imbalances. These acts can include bullying, harassment, exclusion, and even assault — all of which can have devastating effects on a child’s physical and mental health, learning outcomes, and long-term development.

While all Southeast Asian countries have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the report notes that deeply rooted gender norms and limited resources continue to obstruct progress. To break this cycle, experts emphasise a whole-school approach — one that unites teachers, parents, students, and communities to promote respect, equality, and accountability at every level of education.

According to a 2019 UNESCO report, the prevalence of bullying in Southeast Asia varies widely — from over 50% in the Philippines and Myanmar to around 13% in Lao PDR. Male students often face higher rates of physical bullying, while girls are more likely to experience psychological exclusion and sexual harassment. Appearance, ethnicity, and religion also play roles, shaping the unique patterns of violence in each country.

These figures highlight that SRGBV is not just a gender issue — it’s a social one. Cultural expectations and unequal power dynamics continue to make many children, especially girls and marginalised groups, vulnerable within school environments.

Encouragingly, all Southeast Asian countries show strong commitments to international frameworks such as Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and regional declarations through ASEAN. Many nations — including Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam — have incorporated SRGBV prevention into broader child-protection and anti-violence laws.

Some, such as Brunei Darussalam and Singapore, focus on nurturing respectful behaviour and peaceful learning environments as a foundation for addressing violence. Others, like Lao PDR and Malaysia, have developed response frameworks that include hotlines, counselling, and community-based reporting systems for survivors.

However, the study finds that implementation remains uneven. While strong legal frameworks exist in many countries, schools often lack the resources and training to translate policies into daily practice.

The research highlights inspiring examples across the region.

• Cambodia’s Gender Mainstreaming Strategic Plan and Indonesia’s school response teams showcase how clear policy direction can improve safety and accountability.
• Brunei’s G.I.N.I.S. programme is a nationwide initiative addressing social issues among Year 9 students by migrating gender awareness into values and character education.
• Malaysia’s guidelines on sexual misconduct and Thailand’s One-Stop Crisis Centres ensure rapid, child-sensitive responses.
• Across the region, NGOs, teachers’ unions, police, and health professionals are working together to strengthen the safety net for students.

Still, more needs to be done to make schools not only legally compliant but also truly inclusive and responsive to every child’s needs.

The study concludes that while progress is visible, disparities among countries persist — particularly in implementation capacity, funding, and monitoring systems.

Policies alone are not enough. To make them work, schools and communities need training, resources, and localised tools to prevent violence, promote mental well-being, and build digital safety awareness.

The report proposes seven priority actions:

• Strengthen regional coordination and share best practices.
• Invest in real-time, disaggregated data to guide policy decisions.
• Expand gender-responsive teacher training.
• Engage families and communities in prevention and awareness.
• Increase sustainable funding for school-level implementation.
• Ensure inclusivity and child participation in all policies.
• Support digital safety and mental-health programmes for students.

These steps aim to transform schools into environments where every learner — regardless of gender, background, or ability — feels safe, valued, and able to reach their full potential.

Creating safe and inclusive schools is not just about ending violence — it’s about reimagining education as a driver of equality. As the report emphasises, true progress will depend on how well policies are implemented at the ground level and how strongly communities unite to protect their children.

For the full Executive Summary and detailed findings, visit the SEAMEO e-Library.