KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian Council of Child Welfare (MKKM) today urged stronger and more coordinated efforts to address the rise in crimes and risky behaviours involving children, warning that poor mental health, social pressures and lack of early intervention are putting young Malaysians at risk.
MKKM president Datuk Yasmeen Shariff said authorities must look at the issue from multiple angles to devise a comprehensive response.
“We need to have security features in schools like emergency buttons, CCTVs installed in various parts of the schools, safety SOPs in place with regular audits by the Ministry of Education as well as work on legal literacy programmes for teachers, parents and students,” she said in a press statement.
She added that such measures would help protect children and strengthen preventive education, especially among vulnerable groups.
MKKM vice-president Professor Dr Kamal Kenny said depression among adolescents is often overlooked as many symptoms are dismissed as typical teenage behaviour.
“Depression in adolescents is more often missed than it is in adults, possibly because of the display of irritability, mood reactivity, and fluctuating symptoms that may just be part of being an adolescent and not necessarily indicate classical symptoms of depression,” he said.
Dr Kamal added that untreated depression can lead to risky behaviour, including substance abuse and unsafe sexual activity, highlighting the need for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in schools.
MKKM said CSE and stronger mental health support could equip young people with the knowledge, coping skills and emotional resilience needed to make informed choices and avoid harm.
The statement comes amid national outrage over several recent school-related crimes, including the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old schoolgirl by her 14-year-old classmate in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
It also follows reports of alleged classroom gang-rapes involving secondary students in Melaka and Kedah, which have reignited calls for stronger safeguards in schools.
