Students attending secondary school found skipping classes at a cyber café, including one female student.
In a recent joint police operation, seventeen secondary school students were caught playing truant at a local cyber cafe on Jalan Stampin, Kuching, Malaysia. The operation, led by the police officer-in-charge of Sekama Police Station, chief inspector Jamaludin Abdul Latiff, took place around 11am on the second floor of a commercial centre.
The students, aged between 14 and 17, were engrossed in online computer games when the operation was conducted. Some had only taken off their school shirts, while one student was still in full uniform during the raid. Sixteen of the students were from a school located on Jalan Stampin, and one student was from a school on Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg. After the operation, the students were handed over to their respective schools for further action.
The reasons behind this truancy and the growing issue of online gaming addiction among students are complex. Escapism and social disengagement, peer influence, lack of supervision, accessibility of cyber cafes, and the addictive nature of certain online games are key causes. These factors contribute to truancy, which can have severe academic, social, and psychological consequences.
Academically, truancy leads to missed lessons and lower grades. Schools may suspend or expel students for repeated truancy, and poor academic records can limit access to higher education and career prospects. Socially and psychologically, excessive gaming can result in alienation from family and non-gaming peers, mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, and financial consequences from spending on gaming credits or café fees.
To combat this issue, several preventive measures can be implemented at the individual, family, school, and community levels. At the individual and family level, regular monitoring of students' whereabouts and online activities, setting boundaries such as limiting screen time and gaming hours, and encouraging healthy alternatives like sports, arts, and other hobbies are crucial.
Schools can implement counseling and awareness programs to educate students about the risks of gaming addiction and truancy, strict monitoring of school attendance, and positive reinforcement such as rewarding good attendance and academic performance. Community-level strategies include regulating cyber cafes by enforcing age restrictions and time limits for students, and collaboration with authorities to monitor cyber cafes during school hours.
While the provided sources do not specifically address cyber café truancy in Kuching, these strategies are widely recognized and recommended for addressing truancy linked to online gaming addiction. It is essential for parents, schools, and the community to work together to prevent and address this issue to ensure the well-being and success of our youth.
Education and self-development programs focusing on personal growth could include discussions about the dangers of truancy and online gaming addiction, as seen in the recent incident involving secondary school students in Kuching, Malaysia. These programs may emphasize the importance of setting boundaries, limiting screen time, and participating in healthy alternatives to combat the issue.
General news outlets could highlight the growing issue of crime and justice related to truancy linked to online gaming addiction, providing updates on strategies being implemented at the individual, family, school, and community levels to address this complex problem. By raising awareness about the severe academic, social, and psychological consequences of truancy, society can contribute to learning and prevention solutions to ensure the well-being and success of our youth.
