Chula the Impact Forum: Building Safer Schools Through Prevention, Mental Health, and Resilience

On August 10, 2026, Chulalongkorn University held the 42nd Chula the Impact Forum, titled “Strengthening the Shield, Building Resilience: Safety in Educational Institutions,” at Chula Narumit House. The forum brought together academics from various disciplines to draw lessons from recent incidents and propose ways to make educational institutions safer environments. Discussions covered institutional management, children’s and young people’s mental health, and systems for preventing and responding to crises, as well as the role of the media and society in communicating responsibly following incidents of violence in educational institutions that have caused loss of life and affected teachers, students, families, and society at large. 

A violent incident occurred at an educational institution in Nonthaburi Province on August 7, 2026, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries. Government agencies responded to the situation and coordinated assistance for those affected, while information from Thai PBS and government authorities has continued to be updated following the incident. This has included efforts to address physical and mental health needs and provide support to affected families. The incident has prompted Thai society to once again ask the crucial question: What needs to be done to create “safe educational institutions,” and how can similar losses be prevented from happening again? 

The 42nd Chula for the Impact forum sought to bring together knowledge from multiple disciplines to analyze the issue, ranging from child and youth behavior, educational administration, mental health, and counseling psychology to the role of the mass media. 

Speakers at the event included Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University; Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattasuda Taephant, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology, Chulalongkorn University; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dhirapat Kulophas, Chair of the Educational Administration Program, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University; Asst. Prof. Dr. Panita Suavansri, Director of the Counseling Psychology Program, Faculty of Psychology, Chulalongkorn University; and Asst. Prof. Dr. Jessada Salathong, Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University. 

In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Wilert Puriwat, President of Chulalongkorn University, acknowledged that many problems occurring in society can be prevented or their severity reduced if people have sufficient understanding and work together seriously. Every human being has thoughts and feelings that cannot be seen with the naked eye, just as many social problems may not be immediately visible. However, if people learn to observe, understand, and pay close attention to warning signs from different perspectives, they can prevent and resolve problems and reduce their severity through cooperation across all sectors. 

Prof. Dr. Wilert added, “As the world changes dramatically, the education system must change along with it. Educational institutions must serve as a source of support for society and place greater emphasis on psychology at the policy level because it is necessary and important. This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. Everyone should learn to understand themselves. Educational institutions must create an ecosystem that serves as a safe place—a place where children can find emotional refuge—and provide safety for every child and staff member in the institution.” 

“From this unfortunate occurrence, we should seek to understand human nature and learn how to manage anger mindfully and strategically. Educational institutions must teach psychological resilience and build trust so that children feel comfortable talking about their problems. Today, media consumption and social media have become embedded in children’s lives and minds, creating sentiments of comparisons and anger, which can function as a defense mechanism. Therefore, anger management should be taught systematically. We also need to build an ecosystem, recognizing that every school, university, and organization has a different ecosystem. We must therefore understand our own nature and ecosystem.” 

From the perspective of educational administration, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dhirapat Kulophas, Chairman of the Educational Administration Program at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education, emphasized the importance of moving away from simply responding after an incident occurs toward systematic risk management and preparedness. 

The discussion covered gaps in safety systems, the creation of emergency response mechanisms, and the design of schools that are safe without making children feel as though they are constantly under surveillance or control. 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dhirapat said, “I believe no one expected an incident like this to happen in our country. There are three important issues. First, we often understand safety as physical safety—for example, equipment, security personnel, and security systems. But safety also includes relational safety. Second, there is an information gap in responding to incidents. Although many people and agencies possess information and knowledge that could help prevent incidents of this kind, the information is fragmented and lacks connection and exchange. Finally, there is relational safety. When a child has a problem, there must be at least one person at school whom the child can approach and talk to. This is a protocol that educational institutions must have.” 

He added, “Physical safety remains essential, but when something abnormal is detected, the question is what the school will do with that information. For example, if a weapon is found, who should be notified? If a student is being bullied, who should be informed? If nothing changes, people will lose trust. There are often clues before an incident occurs. Providing children with a space where they can open up can help reduce problems. Teachers, psychologists, and police must work together.” 

From a psychological perspective, Asst. Prof. Dr. Panita Suavansri, Director of the Counseling Psychology Program at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Psychology, emphasized the importance of creating an environment in which children can seek help without feeling ashamed about having problems or consulting a professional. 

Asst. Prof. Dr. Panita said, “Parents and teachers should practice observing and asking questions. If a child’s behavior alters or becomes noticeably different from usual, there may be something troubling them, such as distress, loneliness, stress, or discomfort. Even if it is not something dangerous, what is important is to talk, listen, and ask questions without blaming the child so that they feel they are in a safe space. Parents and teachers should therefore listen more than they speak. School psychologists may still be lacking, but they are extremely important because they can ease the burden on parents and teachers by listening to problems without judgment and without having a vested interest.” 

Asst. Prof. Dr. Jessada Salathong of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Communication Arts highlighted another important dimension: the role of the mass media and online media users. 

During a crisis, society needs information quickly. However, speed must go hand in hand with accuracy and responsibility, particularly when an incident involves children, young people, victims, and their families. Government authorities have also asked for cooperation in avoiding the dissemination of graphic images and unverified information to prevent further harm to those affected and reduce the impact on children who are exposed to news coverage. 

Asst. Prof. Dr. Jessada said, “The media must adapt how it reports incidents of this nature. They should not rush to compete for the first report or pass judgement on anyone while the cause remains unknown. Competition based on speed is dangerous, particularly in an era when anyone can become a media outlet. It is even more concerning when society tries to find someone to blame or justify certain individuals. There are two principles of communication: first, avoid giving individuals an identity or publicity—’No Name, No Fame’; and second, avoid repetitive reporting, which can retraumatize people who were present at the incident, victims, stakeholders, and news consumers. The media should therefore not sensationalize the story, dramatize it, or provide detailed descriptions of the incident, as this could encourage imitation.” 

He added, “My message to the media is that incidents like this should not become a race to be first. There is no need to be the first to report the news or to decide who is right or wrong. Members of the public and parents should monitor children’s social media use. Platforms should screen content, and society should practice empathy—before sharing, before posting, and before passing judgment.” 

Meanwhile, Asst. Prof. Dr. Natsuda Taepan, Dean of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Psychology, whose contribution to the forum reflected prior discussions with her team and fieldwork related to the incident, emphasized the need to integrate mental health care into educational safety systems and turn lessons from the incident into practical policy measures. 

Asst. Prof. Dr. Nattasuda underscored how “after a crisis, what is important is to care for people systematically—from those directly affected, their families, teachers, and students, to personnel who have to return to work in the same environment. Recovery takes time, and we should not rush everyone to ‘return to normal’ at the same pace. In the long term, we should use the lessons from this incident to develop screening mechanisms, access to mental health services, channels for seeking help, and clearer referral systems connecting schools, families, and professionals.” 

She continued, “This is an incident that no one wants to see happening again. From a policy perspective, educational institutions and society must therefore create a new ecosystem, using trust as the foundation for caring for children’s mental well-being before problems arise. Building this culture must begin with psychological knowledge—teaching children what they can and cannot do and helping them understand themselves. There are two types of networks within schools for building trust. The first is a referral network: when a problem is identified, people must know what to do next. The teacher is informed, the administrator is informed, and then the case can be connected to external support networks such as psychologists, police, and other officials. The important thing is to care for students, teachers, and staff alike while knowing who the relevant members of the network are in order to create safety in concrete terms.” 

The key message from the forum, “Strengthening the Shield, Building Resilience: Safety in Educational Institutions,” is therefore not simply about increasing physical security measures. Rather, it is about creating multiple layers of protection, ranging from risk-management systems and safe environments to mental health support, channels for listening and seeking help, and systems for crisis communication. 

At the same time, schools must build resilience among students, teachers, administrators, parents, and the communities surrounding educational institutions, equipping them with the knowledge and preparedness needed to support one another. 

The event aligns with the objectives of Chula the Impact, which seeks to bring the knowledge and expertise of Chulalongkorn University to bear on pressing social problems in a timely manner. The university hopes that the recommendations from the forum can be developed into practical approaches for educational institutions, administrators, teachers, parents, and relevant agencies, enabling them to work together to build an education system that is safe, resilient, and capable of caring for children and young people comprehensively. 

The initiative reflects Chulalongkorn University’s guiding concept: “When society has a problem, Chula has the answer.”