"Why? Because it's fun."

This was the response I received from the person bullying me years ago. I was shocked, indignant and angry.

A survey of bullying in Singapore secondary schools by Singapore Children's Society in 2006 showed that one in four students was a victim of bullying. That is about 50,000 students at one time just in secondary schools.

Most solutions now require the bullied person to inform a parent, teacher, or law enforcement person, but not all teens tell an adult when they are bullied.

It also seems odd that, to stop bullying, we put the burden on the victim instead of targeting the source.

Bullying can cause depression, low self-esteem, and an increase in suicidal tendencies. I wonder if the bullies know how their actions may emotionally impact their victims and if they think about the short- and long-term consequences.

Through reading up on developmental education and social psychology, I discovered that the incidence of bullying in the community can be lowered if more people develop empathy - the ability to identify what others feel and to sense their emotions.

Fostering a habit of consciously putting themselves in the shoes of others will urge adolescents to think twice before acting, leading to greater self-awareness, reduced bullying and a more caring community.

Empathy is like a muscle: left unused, it atrophies; put to work, it grows. We can all choose to be more empathetic, just like how we choose to study for examinations.

This habit can be developed in schools, at home, at work, and in various social circles. Perhaps schools can place more emphasis on empathy in their personal development education.

Our experiences, choices and habits mould our brains, and what we practise growing up will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Timothy Liau Ke Qin