Anti-bullying project lauded

Pupils from Pulelo Primary School in Cassel in the Northern Cape say bullying is a challenge that is impacting negatively on their school work.

Studies show that bullies are often people who were themselves bullied at some stage. However, Pulelo pupils say they want to raise awareness of the issue within the school because it is a serious challenge.

During their anti-bullying campaign they first held conversations among themselves to understand what bullying is all about.

Through an anonymous survey conducted to measure the level of bullying, some admitted to bullying for fun, some because their friends are doing it, while others told how they were bullied.

Through the project, anti-bullying messages were created by learners and posted all around the school in order to raise awareness. “Your reaction is exactly what the bully wants” and “do not stop until the bullying stops” were among them.

The research found that children in Grades 1 and 2 were the most targeted by bullies who would steal their lunch or money.

According to the members of the project, in order to combat bullying parents need to be involved, and so efforts were made to communicate with parents.

The project was so successful that the school has won a provincial prize and will now go on to participate in a national competition.

According to the participating pupils, the project has changed their way of thinking about bullies, how they respond to them, and how they report on what they know. – ANA