We, the undersigned, call upon the Government of Sri Lanka; the Minister of Education and Minister of Justice, to take immediate and decisive action to address the growing epidemic of bullying in schools. Bullying is unwanted aggressive behaviour that is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power or strength. The safety of our children is at risk, and it is imperative that the government implements laws to prevent bullying in schools.

The Facts

Sri Lanka currently lacks any laws to deter perpetrators of bullying. The country also lacks a specific Child Protection Act.

Society has not recognized the lifetime negative impact of bullying – to both victim and perpetrator, evidenced by the lack of a definitive word for bullying in the two main national languages in the country being Sinhala and Tamil. This makes communication about the topic with a majority of the population impossible.

Due to the socioeconomic situation in the country, often school syllabi and achievement awards focus exclusively on competitive academic learning at the expense of celebrating behaviour and citizenship.

There have been a series of unfortunate teen suicides in Sri Lanka as a result of bullying.

These preventable tragedies highlight the urgent need for laws to ensure the safety of students.

Our Demands

Immediate introduction of anti-bullying laws by way of a new Act of Parliament to give protection against all types of bullying.

The law needs to be broad-based to protect all sections of society and capture all stakeholders, keeping in mind that some senior school students can be legal adults.

Why This Matters

Every child should have the right to feel safe during their time in school. No parent should have to fear for their child’s life and wellbeing during their school career. No parent or child should suffer the agony of a lifetime of mental health debilitations and financial costs due to negative actions of a perpetrator who does not face any consequences due to the lack of a law against their acts of bullying.

Acts of bullying are not random events that happen by chance. More protective factors and legal safety nets will reduce risk factors and deter perpetrators, thereby increasing the possibilities of a safe and inclusive school environment without bullying.

The Government must act NOW to ensure our children’s safety and well-being.

We urge everyone to sign this petition and demand that the Sri Lankan Government implement these necessary protections before more innocent lives are impacted.

Kajanga Kulatunga and Chenaya Ama Kulatunga drafted this petition.

DISCLAIMER - The Unbully Project and the authors are NOT seeking and WILL NOT accept any financial donations.