IT is the right of every child to learn in a school environment devoid of fear in whatever form. And while schools, especially private schools that boast of global standards, claim to provide quality, inclusive and safe education that put children on the path to a promising future, it is indeed in schools, that many children experience various forms of violence; bullying, harassment, verbal abuse, sexual abuse and exploitation, excessive corporal punishment and other forms of humiliation at the hands of a peer.
It is however disheartening that teachers and those in authorities who should guide pupils are found perpetrating the crime against children in their care. This was proved last week by the drama that ensued following Nollywood actress; Mercy Johnson-Okojie’s outcry that her daughter was being bullied by a teacher based on unfounded hatred for the mother. Though, some people tried to bully her online with falsehoods, it was later proved through her Instagram live video with the head of the school that she was right and the campaign of violence against her was false.
This incident has caused fear for many parents as it is now obvious that schools may be far from a haven of learning and can be a place of bullying and other forms of violence and harassment. This is a valid fear for any sane parent because a child that goes through bullying is being systematically destroyed and the effects may never be overcome, even into adulthood.
Violence in schools can have tragic effects on children’s psychological, mental and physical health; depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal thoughts as well as hatred for school and education, aggressive and anti-social behaviour and lower academic performance.
Bullying is a serious issue and globally, it has been proved that globally, half of students aged 13–15, report experiencing peer-to-peer violence in and around school. How then can parents work towards protection of their children to improve learning outcomes? Parents need to empower themselves and their children to protect their children from bullies and bullying behaviour.
The presence of bullies in a school system can transform a constructive learning environment into a scary place for kids. It is therefore important for parents to acknowledge the potential for bullying and take steps towards prevention or dealing with a situation that already exists; physical bullying, verbal bullying or cyber bullying.
To protect your child from bullying as a parent, you must first be able to identify the warning signals because children that experience bullying are usually reluctant to bring the problem home to their parents. As a result, as a parent, you must be conversant with your children’s mannerism and behaviour before you can recognise that something is wrong.
Some common signs include coming home with missing or damaged personal items, taking a different route home from school, frequent complains about physical ailments, sadness at going to school, having few friends, seem unhappy or depressed after school or starts perfoming poorly academically suddenly.
Parents should work at having an open line of communication with their kids and also know their children’s close friends who can give information about what is going on.
Monitor your children; some parents are hesitant to monitor their children’s texts or social networks because they worry it will appear they are prying because they don’t trust their kids. However, the online world has made it even more important for parents to know who their kids are hanging out with and what they are doing on these devices.
As a parent, keep your eyes and ears open. And ensure the line of communication is always open so that you can quickly pick up on warning signals and act on them.
If and when you realise your child is being bullied, it is not the time to be emotional and rant; this is the period to stand firm and take steps to protect your child. Let the child know that there is a solid support system, build their confidence and self esteem by ensuring you show them that they have no fault and they don’t deserve to be bullied.
Don’t shy away from addressing the issue no matter who is involved and ensure you take the threat far away from your child..
and then