“I was bullied by my older classmate,” said a student of an upscale private boarding secondary school in Ikeja, Lagos. The reason for his bullying was as flimsy as it was unconscionable. “He said I did not call him when my parents came ,” the student told Guardian TV. Despite insisting that…
After more than two years of inquest, a government-appointed coroner ruled in April that the student’s death could not have resulted from the alleged bullying incident. Still, that episode highlighted the need for more coordinated action points against the menace. The street fights got so bad that an old couple who owned a house adjacent to one of the public schools had to sell their home because of “the fights and damages to their house all the time.”for the study said they had experienced at least one type of bullying. About 27.9% of the students interviewed for the study said they were bullies themselves. The study indicated that about 75% of bullying occurred on school premises, especially in classrooms, and that 58.3% of bullies were classmates.
Aina also alleged that many victims of bullying keep quiet “because we are built in a way to withstand situations in Nigeria”. Parents should maintain open lines of communication with their children, stay vigilant for signs of distress, encourage them to speak up about any issues they face at school and take their children’s concerns seriously.
Furthermore, they need to promote a culture of empathy and respect within the school community. This will greatly reduce incidents of bullying. Schools are also advised to curate programmes that teach social-emotional skills and conflict resolution to enable students to handle disputes appropriately.
We believe every child deserves the opportunity to live free from fear and intimidation. This Children’s Day, let’s stand as one community and pledge to ensure that no child has to suffer the pain and trauma of bullying.Before flagging, please keep in mind that Disqus does not moderate communities. Your username will be shown to the moderator, so you should only flag this comment for one of the reasons listed above.
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