What is your Stand on Bullying?

Bullying rears its ugly head more often these days and some victims have ended their lives because they could not bear to be constantly harassed and humiliated.

Why does it occur?

It appears to occur when people and kids are included, are in a group and they browbeat someone who is perceived to be timid and an under-achiever. It also appears that bullies will hesitate if their victim retaliates by being aggressive. However they only pick on those who are weak and defenseless.

A case in point is the schoolgirl who was bullied and the beating she got was recorded and posted onto YouTube. Her humiliation, pain and pleas that fell on deaf ears were there for the world to see. Her hair was hacked off by the bullies and these were her classmates.

Many comments have been made in the press about the indifferent attitude of the classmates, teachers and perhaps the school head as well. It cannot be that they didn’t know about it as the bullying had been going on for a period of time. Teachers are also moving around when the school bell rings for the change of classes. Talk gets around. Don’t tell me that this didn’t filter into the staffroom.

Because the episode was recorded and uploaded onto the net, investigations were carried out and the culprits were identified. Upon being found out, they quickly apologized for their actions. However they were given the maximum of a 2-week suspension from school after which they will undergo counselling. But what of the victim?

The latest news is that she will be transferred to another school. You can bet that what happened to her will also follow her to her new school, such is the grapevine that links schools.

Readers have written in to argue that suspension is a holiday for the maladjusted wayward bullies and that counseling will not be effective in changing their ways. The behaviour of these four girls speaks volumes of their upbringing. What are their parents doing that their offspring can torment another girl in school, during school hours?

They are as much to blame as the teachers and the head of that school. Apparently the victim's mother had alerted the school about her daughter being bullied but obviously nothing was done about it or how could it continue to happen? All of them are culpable. Our moral standards have dropped so much that a weaker child is baited and tormented and the others just look the other way and think that it is none of their business..

What do you think should have been done? Do you think apologies are enough to atone for the atrociousness of their actions? What can be done to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future? How can schools be made safe so that there is no
climate of fear?

Wouldn't you like to be assured that your child is in a school where she will not be picked upon just because there are others who think nothing of being aggressive but enjoy hurting others?

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