Time for a quick recap…
In our previous newsletter (and the first part of this series), we delved into a crash course on bullying. In case you did not get a chance to read it, we understood what bullying was and who could be classified as a bully. Did you know, My Dear Reader, that bullying goes far beyond physical acts? Verbal and non-verbal actions can also be classified as bullying!
Anyway, I am starting to dwell too much on last week. To access last week’s newsletter please click on the link below.
Shall we begin?
Today we examine bullying from another point of view, using real-life events as a vantage point. Here’s what Mrs Eniola Olajobi, the Founding President of ANEP had to say on this subject.
“The unfortunate incident at Dowen College is a reflection point for all of us, whether we are parents, school owners, teachers or just the general public. For indeed, the current rates of bullying, molestation and other vices amongst students not just in Nigeria but globally are alarming, to say the least.
Some of us must have heard about the Michigan shooting and we need to ask ourselves questions. It is not enough that we get emotional and shed tears but we must ask ourselves: ‘‘how can we get proactive rather than reactive?”
Our hearts are bitter and our eyes are full of tears. Are we going to just cry for Sylvester and then wait for the next one to happen?
Children are our responsibility as adults. We owe them the duty of care, and a child is defined as any individual below the age of 18 years. We are responsible for them, for the things that they know, and to put them right when they take certain steps that are not good enough.
The focus of the news has been on the school and there have been a lot of accusing fingers pointed at the school. This is because the school is the number one hub for bullying activities to take place, among other vices. It is not because the school has a laboratory where it manufactures bullies, but because the school is the largest and most consistent convergence point for children with different kinds of lives, backgrounds and family values.
It becomes more revealing what a child’s behaviour is when they are at school. Even when a child is quiet and well behaved at home, he may exhibit completely different behaviours when he is in school amongst his peers. It is therefore important that schools need to wake up to the challenges. Schools should be responsible for children for as long as they are under their care. In the morning when they are dropped off by their parents, and in the afternoon when they are taken home. In the case of boarding houses, they should be responsible for children until they go home for holidays.
Having said this, what do schools need to do differently to ensure we uproot the challenge of bullying from its roots?”
The answer to this question is simple…
Schools need to create strong anti-bullying policies and stick to them. We need to stop shielding the perpetrators and protect the victims.
As parents, we also need to create safe spaces for our children and engage in exemplary behaviours that they can learn and replicate.
Reach out to us at info@anep.com.ng if you need help with creating an anti-bullying policy for your school.
Thank you for reading. Have a lovely weekend and compliments of the season!
Cheers,
Ewoma Omoghene