As the new academic year begins, many children will find themselves in new schools.
The distress around this situation is whether they will like the school and the people, and whether they will feel safe with a sense of belonging or not.
Whilst many parents may not consider these issues as issues of importance, they contribute immensely to a child’s mental well-being and academic performance.
Parents expect their children to cope with all the challenges they may face, and such is life.
With all the efforts made to raise their children to be confident, fearless and resilient, issues like bullying can still leave many children feeling overwhelmed and intimidated.
Bullying is deliberate, repeated aggressive behaviour that involves an imbalance of power ‒ continuing students feel more comfortable and powerful.
It can be physical (hitting, pushing), verbal (name-calling, threats), social (spreading rumours, exclusion), or cyberbullying (harassment through digital platforms).
Bullying can also thrive on discrimination with respect to social status, physical appearance, gender, disability or religious belief.
Not only is this kind of discrimination unjust, but it hits the very core of who a child is, just because of real or perceived differences.
Regardless of a child’s identity or background, schools have a responsibility to ensure that all students feel safe, respected and included, especially the new ones.
In Ghana, we have seen a rising spate of bullying escalating into violence in recent times.
In a video circulating this year, senior students in a certain school were shown lashing first-year students with a machete. In 2023, there was also a video where a senior was seen smashing the face of a junior on a metal bed frame, resulting in injuries to the face.
These incidents have always been met with public outrage.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), globally one in three students aged 13 –15 experience bullying regularly.
This contributes significantly to school dropout, anxiety, depression and suicidal behaviour among victims.
Perpetrators
The perpetrators themselves are not spared the consequences of their actions.
Such persons usually have covert mental health problems and can end up with poor peer relationships.
They often struggle with their academic performance and are likely to engage in criminal behaviour later in life.
For bystander children who witness this incivility, they internalise the scene and may absorb the fear and anxiety or guilt and shame of not being able to help.
This can affect their mental health too.
Others become desensitised to violence and begin to look upon it as ‘normal’.
Unconsciously, this becomes a learned behaviour and some children learn disrespect and rebellion.
Parents and caregivers must teach values of respect and empathy from a young age.
Bullying must be discussed with children openly to help them understand what it is and why it’s wrong.
Incidents of bullying must not be dismissed, but reported to school authorities.
Teachers must take such reports seriously.
Swift interventions, including creating a safe and supportive environment for the child, are necessary.
Clear rules must be made to ensure tolerance and inclusion.
Compassion
Students must be encouraged to demonstrate compassion by standing up for the victim.
Bullies should be reported and called out.
When their peers refuse to laugh or cheer them on, their rejection will send a strong message that bullying is not ok.
All children must be educated on self-care and the building of positive self-esteem.
They must be encouraged to celebrate their own uniqueness and strengths.
The collaborative effort between school authorities, parents, teachers and students is necessary to curb this disturbing trend.
Obama was very succinct when he said, “Bullying is not a rite of passage.
It is a serious issue with serious consequences.”
The writer is a child development expert/Fellow of the Zero-To-Three Academy, USA.
E-mail: nanaesi.gaisie@wellchildhaven.com
