Viral videos of secondary school girls assaulting a peer in Bhutan — widely shared across Facebook, X, Reddit and Telegram in early June — led to suspensions, police and education investigations, and an appeal from child protection authorities to stop sharing the clips. The incident has reignited debate about the social impact of rapid digitalisation in a country that only introduced TV and the internet in 1999. Experts warn social media can amplify public shaming and expose deeper, long-standing problems affecting children.
Viral School-Bullying Clips Test Bhutan’s Digital Transition and Cultural Values
People look at a phone as they sit beside the Buddha Dordenma statue in Bhutan's capital Thimphu on August 25, 2018 (Arun SANKAR)(Arun SANKAR/AFP/AFP)
Viral videos showing secondary school girls assaulting a classmate have reopened debates in Bhutan about the social costs of rapid digital change. Clips filmed by classmates and circulated widely across Facebook, X, Reddit and Telegram in early June prompted public outrage, suspensions and probes by police and education authorities.
Reaction and Investigation
The incident involved pupils at Lungtenzampa Middle Secondary School in the capital, Thimphu. School officials said the case is being treated "with the utmost seriousness." Authorities removed the footage and suspended the students involved while police and education officials investigate.
"Sharing the footage may cause further harm, trauma, stigmatisation, and victimisation of the children concerned," warned Bhutan's National Commission for Women and Children as it urged the public not to circulate the clips.
Voices From The Community
For some viewers the footage was deeply upsetting. "As a mother myself, I couldn't even fall asleep at night and images kept flashing in my memory," said Sangay Dema, reflecting wider public distress.
Tandin Wangmo, head of the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy, highlighted social media's double-edged role: "Social media has democratised access to information, civic participation and opportunities for youth. But it also has the potential to amplify outrage, public shaming and hate speech. Everybody is a judge."
Content creator Dorji Gyeltshen noted how easily young people can be influenced by the material they consume online: "The content we consume has a significant impact on our lives."
Wider Context: Digitalisation And Social Change
Bhutan has only had television and internet since 1999 and has long managed outside influence carefully to preserve its culture. Today the country of roughly 800,000 people reports about 88% internet penetration and some 485,000 social media user identities, according to DataReportal.
With more than half the population under 28, Bhutan's leaders view technology as a tool to create jobs and reduce youth migration abroad — initiatives that have even included hydropower-backed cryptocurrency mining. But rapid digital adoption has also exposed new social challenges.
UNICEF and government data cited in reports show that six in 10 children in Bhutan experienced some form of physical violence (2016 study), indicating that online incidents often reflect deeper offline problems. "A lot of what we see now is not new behaviour, but things that were once hidden behind closed doors," said Srijana Giri, calling for more responsible adult behaviour online.
Looking Ahead
The episode has prompted broader questions about digital responsibility, online culture, misinformation, and how communities can protect children as Bhutan’s digital transition accelerates. Observers and rights groups are calling for stronger digital literacy, clearer guidelines on child protection online, and community-based approaches to rebuild traditional protections weakened by rapid social change.
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