Three major concerns make it important to study the association between bullying and

mental health, albeit using existing publicly available data, in this region.

One, children have limited rights; extant literature indicates that they experience high
rates of violence at various locations, including at home and at schools (Rai, Palit, & Mitra,
2014). That corporal punishment is condoned in much of the region adds to the problem (Ali,
Mirza, & Rauf, 2015).

Two, mental health remains an unchartered territory with high rates of taboo surrounding
mental health issues in itself. Ignorance and misunderstanding surrounding mental health is very
high. For example, it is not uncommon for it to be seen as “djinn possession,” ill-fate, or mere
shyness and social awkwardness, all of which preclude individuals from receiving appropriate
help for mental health problems (Burr, 2002).

Third, there is the additional burden of poverty, at both individual and national levels,
that prevent parents from seeking help, as well as states from building supportive institutions that
address this problem (Clement et al., 2015; Garbarino, 1992). Low-income countries have
limited resources, including policy and infrastructure such as accessible mental health
institutions, to address mental health issues. Resources that they do have are inequitably
distributed, across countries and within communities (Saxena, Thornicroft, Knapp, & Whiteford,
2007).

Another consideration is that individuals in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar have had
and continue to have high exposure to violence which may make them more resilient in the face
of violence and aggression, e.g. by having more involved relationships with parents and friends,
which may in turn mean that violence does not affect their mental health. On the other hand the
high exposure to violence may heighten the responses to violence among individuals who
experience them, thus making them more likely to experience mental health problems (Fowler,
Tompsett, Braciszewski, Jacques-Tiura, & Baltes, 2009; O'Donnell, Schwab-Stone, & Muyeed,
2002).