SHAH ALAM, Oct 20 — Using quick-response (QR) codes as a school reporting channel could help detect bullying threats and planned fights early, before unwanted incidents occur.
Crime analyst Kamal Affandi Hashim said this would make it easier for students to share information with the relevant authorities, including outside school hours.
Students often know about planned fights in advance, but the information might not reach school authorities because they lack a suitable reporting channel.
He cited the Safe to Tell Malaysia initiative, which uses QR codes as a reporting channel, enabling students to share information about potential threats.
“If a fight is planned for tomorrow, I might know about it today. This means I can report it even after school hours,” Kamal said during Media Selangor’s 'Bicara Semasa' programme.
He emphasised that installing closed-circuit television cameras alone is insufficient without effective monitoring or a system that can detect early warning signs of an incident.
“I have installed CCTV. Fine, but who is monitoring everything? How? So I want to know what software is being used, how threats are detected, and whether incidents can be anticipated,” Kamal said.
He added that efforts to tackle bullying should focus on prevention and problem-solving rather than simply finding someone to blame after an incident occurs.
As such, cooperation among schools, parents, and the community must be strengthened to ensure that information about potential bullying threats can be reported and early action taken before situations escalate.
Student safety has once again come under scrutiny following the death of Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal, 16, at a school in Yong Peng, Johor, on October 3.
On Thursday (October 15), a 16-year-old male student was charged with her murder at the Batu Pahat Magistrate’s Court. However, no plea was recorded because the case falls under the High Court's jurisdiction.
The incident has renewed questions about the effectiveness of school reporting channels and early detection systems in preventing threats to student safety.
