School
bullying has been a very prevalent occurrence in India. Parents and
teachers will remember how common these incidents were, back in the
90s. These kind of acts of humiliating one’s school-mates, for fun
or for power, had become quite dormant over the last decade. However,
bullying is popping up once again in our schools, this time with a
greater intensity.
A
recent study has revealed that every third child in India falls prey
to different kinds of school bullying; be it verbal, physical or
cyber in nature. Charlene Farell, a counsellor working closely with
school children, feels that the reasons why children bully their
peers has changed a lot over last two decades. “Earlier, students
practiced bullying as a form of initiation. The senior students in
schools tried to bully the new-comers, in an attempt to introduce
themselves to their juniors and establish superiority.” According
to Farell, there are many reasons why school children are going back
to bullying practices today; the main one being the lack of time and
attention from their parents. “Today, bullying has become a form of
letting out one’s frustration. Bullies in schools are usually the
kids who don’t get enough attention at home. For these kids,
bullying is a form of attention-seeking,” maintains Farell.
The
scope of bullying today has increased manifold, as students belonging
to a variety of socio-economic backgrounds can now interact with each
other freely, not just in schools, but also on various social media
platforms. This has brought us to another major form of bullying:
cyber bullying. Manisha Chadda, a clinical hypnotherapist and a
parent says, “Technology has made our world very competitive.
Though it has a way forward in future, it has exposed our kids to
the world of cyber bullying through social media.” Today, even a
small text of yours can be used to bully you, directly or indirectly.
“I have seen kids take screenshots of two lines said by a person in
a WhatsApp conversation and forward it to many others, without
explaining its context. This is used as a medium to create mischief
and trouble. There are so many kids today who end up getting bullied
over a simple text they sent to their friend,” expresses Manisha.
Life
isn’t easy for the victims of bullying, even after passing through
that phase. The humiliation and embarrassment stays with the victims
forever. “One of the most serious impacts of bullying is the
breakdown of the victim’s self-esteem. The loss of confidence
hinders things that the victim tries to do throughout his or her
life. Getting bullied may also lead to emotional instability and
psychological trauma. A victim’s social abilities get highly
affected too. They might always face the fear of approaching any new
situation, something most normal people can do with ease. Thus,
bullying has a multifaceted effect on kids, that might make their
life a lot different than what it would have been if they hadn’t
faced bullies,” explains Farell.
As
important it is to teach the kids to fight against bullying, at the
same time, it is as important to take steps to ensure that no child
becomes a bully. Farell says, “It’s necessary that children get
the time and attention they deserve, so that they do not try to find
any undesirable ways to seek it. Any change in the kid’s behaviour
should not be ignored by parents and teachers. Also, every school
must strategically implement a strict anti-bullying policy and make
its students aware of it.” The school has a big role to play, but
it’s the parents who can have the maximum impact on their kids.
“It’s our job as parents, to guide our kids and make them
sensitive so that they don’t end up bullying anybody, even
unintentionally. We should teach them to say things responsibly and
think about others’ feelings before making any statement,” shares
Manisha.
Teaching
kids about fighting bullies has become the need of the day. “It’s
a message for kids, that whatever happens, you should never keep
quiet. If someone is bullying you at school, don’t hesitate to
speak up. Talk to your parents, teachers, counsellors or close
friends. Sharing is the first step in the process of fighting against
bullying,” adds Manisha. Awareness is the key. As Charlene Farell
puts it, “The more we talk about it, the better we will be able to
stand against it.”
