Bullying shocks nation
THERE was quite a lot of hype generated over alleged beating of a Suva school student who was hospitised and the second alleged incident involved a leaked video that went viral on Facebook.
That video showed a group of boys from a prominent boarding school allegedly bullying one of their own. The victim was obviously in pain and terrified.
Police acted swiftly and have charged three of the boys, aged 15 and 16.
While I condemn such acts of cowardice and brutality, and join others in labelling it “sickening.”
I believe the silence around bullying in boys schools need to be removed and replaced with responsible and constructive conversation.
Bullying in male boarding schools is not new. It has been going on for some time and has become “culture”, so much so that students accept it as a norm — that bullying has a special place in schools and in the lives of its pupils.
I’ve even heard ex-scholars proudly brand it as some kind of in-school adolescent/ male youth initiation that helps students “toughen up” or a means of making young students “learn from their mistakes”.
Call it whatever you like bullying is wrong. Period! It is repulsive and despicable.
It should be denounced and met with the fiercest of disapproval.
In the interest of the school’s image – students, school authorities, parents and ex-students may turn a blind eye and cover up this growing menace.
Worried and engrossed with how reporting an incident of bullying might go against achieving performance key indicators, negative behaviour of students can be swept under the carpet and allowed to fester.
I believe the acts of violence depicted in the video were just a tip of the iceberg and a fair indicator of the strong undercurrents of violent behaviour that pervade our male boarding schools.
Understanding the extent of this problem warrants a thorough and objective inquiry, as well as stakeholder dialogue and consultation.
Bullying refers to the repeated misuse of power, either physical or intellectual by an individual or a group of individuals onto another less powerful person.
This may be physical, verbal, relational, cyber and psychological. Teasing or fighting between peers is not necessarily bullying, unless it occurs repeatedly to the same student.
The ministry has already developed a policy on school behaviour management, including bullying.
These are supposed to be mainstreamed into school policies and rules.
The recent case of bullying was not only shocking but showed that something is not working in as far as effectively dealing with bullying and bullies is concerned. It calls for another review of solutions on school violence.
Generally, ministry and school authorities should have stringent and well thought out policies that allow for compliance with professional standards of care and ensure the safety and security of students. They must also adhere to best practices in professional and legal standards.
And when these anti-bullying safeguards are breached, policies must also spell out the appropriate responses that must be taken, whether that be through investigation, penalty and reporting, among others.
It is high time schools that continue to experience aggravated forms of bullying, especially male boarding schools, worked toward finding a better way to foster a learning environment where diversity is embraced and tolerance forms an integral part of the school culture.
On the part of parents, I believe they need to be more alert and enhance their awareness of their children’s school life and affairs.
Any behaviour or attitude different from the normal can indicate that a child is a bully victim or at risk.
If you are a parent and your child confides in you for assistance do not shut him or her out.
Get whatever information you can gather and seek the assistance of teachers or counsellors.
If you are a student who thinks you are alone in the world and feel too afraid to share your experience, know and understand that help is available for you.
When you are bullied, ask for help from a teacher or counsellor. Let your parents know what’s going on.
Also, be well informed about bullying. There are numerous websites and literature dedicated to helping children who are victims of bully.
We all need to be more persistent and diligent if we are to eliminate the scourge of bullying and bring to light negative incidences that have been allowed to be institutional secrets for decades.
The National Substance Abuse Advisory Council recorded over 6000 cases of bullying in schools last year.
Working together, we can reduce this number and help remove the toll bullying takes on our children and on society.
In the recent video case, fear of retaliation drove the victim to go into maintaining silence and deliberately hide the act of hooliganism from being ever discovered.
For not speaking out, he may have indirectly encouraged the bullies to continue their vicious acts undetected and unaddressed.
By not speaking out and falling silent, we perpetuate the cycle of violent behaviour in schools and allow hooligans to become bolder because they prey on vulnerable and weak people.
Remember that bullying will not end unless the condition that impels victims and witnesses into staying silent is removed.
That silence is fed by the fear that reporting a violent act, whether verbal or physical, will lead to retaliation and more violence.
Let’s not tolerate bullying in any form. Until next Sunday, stay healthy, say safe and stay blessed!