For two years, a Mathayom 6 student in Khon Kaen went to school fearing what might happen to him.

According to a complaint made public by Phadung Nongphong, chairman of the Social Support Network in the Northeast, the student said he had been bullied, threatened, extorted and assaulted by fellow students since Mathayom 4 (Grade 10). He said he was threatened with violence if he refused to hand over money.

He had been dragged into a school toilet and assaulted, and that cigarettes had been used to burn him.

He told no one, out of fear. The group he identified was seen as having influence within the school. His parents, both doctors working in rural communities, were unaware of what their son was going through until he could no longer keep it to himself and told them.

His parents took him to the police to report the abuse. The family said the school subsequently sought mediation and asked them not to pursue the matter. Fearing their son could be targeted again, they turned to the media for help.

The case drew wider public attention after footage showing threats, extortion and violence inside the school circulated online. It sparked criticism, particularly because the school is a long-established and highly competitive institution.

Khon Kaen Wittayayon School's director Boonlue Thong-on said the incident had occurred at the beginning of the previous term, rather than recently.

The school had set up a committee to investigate the incident and brought together students, parents, police and other parties.

He said the students and parents on both sides had apologised and reached a mutual understanding, while any legal proceedings would proceed in accordance with the law. The school had also imposed disciplinary measures on the students involved and stepped up monitoring of their behaviour.

Teachers and specialists were assigned to safeguard the student's wellbeing and provide psychological support, while monitoring was increased in and around the campus to prevent a recurrence. Mr Boonlue said the school did not condone violence.

For Dr Prani Paveenchana, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Praram 9 Hospital, the case highlights how easily bullying can be dismissed as ordinary teasing.

But bullying is a form of violence, she said, and its psychological effects can be as serious as those of physical abuse. Prolonged bullying can lead to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and self-harm.

Bullying is not limited to physical attacks. It can also involve verbal abuse, social exclusion, psychological abuse, attacks on personal belongings and cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying can be particularly difficult to escape. Images, videos and rumours can spread rapidly on social media and are often difficult to remove completely. Each new sharing can reopen the distress experienced by a child.

The student's experience is extreme, but bullying is far from confined to one school.

The Department of Mental Health says 91.79% of children have experienced bullying, placing Thailand second globally behind Japan. Its data also show that children are experiencing bullying at younger ages, with repeated bullying linked to thoughts of self-harm among more than one in four people aged six to 25.

The psychological effects can extend beyond the original incident.

Chalalai Taesilapasathit, a psychology lecturer at Thammasat University's Faculty of Liberal Arts, said repeated exposure to violent incidents can leave people feeling unsafe and anxious, particularly those who are psychologically vulnerable or have previously experienced violence.

"Repeated exposure can also reactivate emotions associated with earlier experiences, potentially affecting both mental and physical well-being," she said.

She urged those responsible for preventing and responding to violence to work together to restore public confidence in safety. She also called on the media to report violent incidents responsibly and avoid coverage that unnecessarily heightens fear or emotional distress.

For parents and children affected by violent news, she recommends consuming such material critically and in moderation, particularly avoiding coverage designed mainly to provoke an emotional response.

"People should monitor their own mental state and recognise when distress continues after they stop watching or reading such material," she said.

If anxiety begins causing physical symptoms or interfering with everyday life, including palpitations, sweating or insomnia, Dr Chalalai recommends seeking advice from a psychiatrist or mental health professional.

The Khon Kaen case drew public attention when footage was shared online. But for the boy at its centre, the story had begun much earlier, in a school where he was expected to feel safe.

His silence was not proof that nothing was wrong. It was simply the part of the story that took the longest to hear.

Prani: Bullying downplayed

Chalalai: Warns of impact