Incompatible with Happiness: Results from Second Survey of Bullying and Discrimination Experiences of Bhutanese Higher Education Students

Abstract

Bhutan is known to the outside world as a nation with Gross National Happiness (GNH) as its goal, a concept which is fundamentally underpinned by Buddhist philosophy of loving-kindness, compassion, emphatic joy, and equanimity. In Buddhism these are referred to as the four immeasurable qualities that one must cultivate to become kind, compassionate, and caring towards all living beings, and ultimately generates happiness. This concept as applied should lead to minimal or no instances of bullying and discrimination in such a society and in particular in educational institutions. However, prior studies as well as media reports have shown that there are growing instances of bullying and discrimination amongst both school and higher education students, and staff which is a cause of concern for a GNH nation. Such school experiences are likely to be transferred to higher education institutions and then later to the work places. Bullying and discrimination are often associated with negative outcomes and impacts overall mental well-being of students which can be detrimental to their later life. Therefore, this quantitative study was designed to understand the current level of bullying and discrimination amongst students (N= <10,000) of higher education institutions (n= 15) in Bhutan through a self-administered on-line survey to a representative sample of 1652 (male= 41.3%; female= 57.7% & others= 1%). Essentially, the reported prevalence of being bullied reduced (from about 45% in 2016 to about 36% in 2023), and likewise the reported prevalence of bullying others declined (from 18% to about 10%). There was also a slight reduction for those reporting some form of discrimination; from 51% from 46%. The preliminary findings from the study will provide insights into the current state of bullying and discrimination prevalent in the higher education institutions and make a case for more effective interventions to reduce prevalence of bullying and discrimination in schools and colleges, and, more broadly, the community.