Bullying destroys life
. . . Be part of a solution AS schools just started in January, I thought of a serious problem that some school children and student face when they start school in a new placebullying.
BULLYING is a widespread social occurrence in some communities and schools. It is a fact that both children who are being bullied and children who bully suffer in terms of long- term outcomes. Some school prefects are also found wanting when it comes to this. Just last week, a student visited me and was crying: “I do not know why he is doing this to me. I am not even concentrating in class .This is not the first time he has done this to me. I am very angry. I need help.”
The other day I was sitting in a counselling room with another student whose life had totally changed as a result of being bullied at school.
“I no longer want to go to school. I am not happy with what they do to me. I am scared to go to school and no-one listens to me.” These are the words of young ones who show that they have been affected by the bullying.
What is sad is that apart from the direct effects bullying has on children in the longer run, bullying can affect children’s abilities, behaviour and their adulthood. There are strong negative effects of being bullied and of being a bully. Many research studies that have been conducted over several decades have shown that bullying is associated with adjustment problems such as depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, suicidal ideation and school avoidance. Children who experience bullying are also likely to have psychosomatic complains such as headaches, stomach pain , sleep problems , poor appetite and even bed-wetting to mention just a few.
This is when students are being bullied or victimised, exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions. Bullying involves factors such as: intentional harm-doing, physical victimisation (contact or mean gestures), verbal victimisation (name-calling), indirect victimisation (such as intentional exclusion from a group), theft or damage to a child’s property and cyberbullying.
Being a victim of bullying can increase future use of psychopharmacological medication, body and the probability of teenage pregnancy (girls), while being a perpetrator leads to a higher probability of future antisocial or criminal convictions. Bullies have worse mood, and worse social competencies. It is important to note that:
Bullying is a multifaceted social and emotional phenomenon that plays out differently on an individual level. Children are affected differently with bullying so as adults.
When schools provide a safe learning environment in which adults model positive behaviour, they can mitigate the negative effects of bullying.
Schools should have interventions to address bullying or victimization and these should be intentional, student-focused engagement strategies and must
a) b) c) What is bullying?
suit the context of the school where they are used.
Many children do not report bullying for fear of retaliation and lack of confidence in adults action.
d)
How to combat bullying in our communities and schools a)
Ensure that your school is a place of refuge where students can feel safe, appreciated, and challenged in a constructive way.
Ensure that your staff and other adults can support and provide students with examples of appropriate behaviour and act when bullying reports are received.
Schools should identify students who are bullied and those who bully and persuade them that staying in school, despite the bullying, promises better things to come and that no bullying is allowed.
Teachers and other adults must model caring behaviour for students. Increase adult supervision.
b) c) d) a) Helping stop bullying
Start prevention programs early before a student is negatively affected. Do not take bullying reports lightly always investigate to ascertain facts.
Bullying can lead to internalizing problems, so create an environment where students are allowed to share their experiences in a safe place.
Follow up with negative and positive consequences.
Consider establishing and enforcing rules and policies that address bullying
Remember, bullying has harmful effects that cannot be overstated. Please do something about it.
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b) c) d) For more information and counseling contact DrMazvita Machinga, Psychology , Ph.D , a qualified psychotherapist in Mutare 0771 754 519 / 0778 83 84 10 or email mmazvi@yahoo. com
MSc.