THE DISTURBING CULTURE OF BULLYING IN SCHOOLS & THE CONSEQUENCES

Reports of a young Nigerian Boy called Silvester who died as a result of bullying recently surfaced which has resulted in a worldwide outrage on the impact of bullying on young people. According to a statement his mother released, the young boy who was attending boarding school was allegedly killed by senior male students from the same school.

In a touching post, his mother narrated that her son had asked her not to go back to the school a day before he was to return to the school; but the mother did not pay much attention to what he was saying and a few days later the school called her and informed her that he fell down and had seriously injured himself. The parents did not believe the story that Silvester fell down because his bruises suggested otherwise. As he was rushed to the hospital screaming in agony, Silvester allegedly told his mother the names of the boys who were responsible for his injuries and also disclosed that he was given a poisonous substance to drink which caused his mouth to swell as can be seen in images circulating all over social media that are too sensitive for us to include in this article.

The school denies the allegations and are maintaining the narrative of Silvester falling and hurting himself. Following his death Silvester’s parents decided to sue the school with the matter pending court proceedings.

Bullying in schools is at an all time high, some children have been tormented to the extent of committing suicide. Over the past couple of years more parents, teachers, and various organizations have put in place campaigns and fundraisers to raise more awareness on the plight against bullying.

The consequences of bullying are quite damaging and can be emotionally and physically devastating in most cases; children who have had to succumb to bullying tend to fear for their lives and sometimes are unable to focus on day to day tasks and activities. Most children tend to shy away from reporting the incidents to their teachers or parents, due to fear of retaliation, therefore it is cardinal to notice any changes in behaviour as a Teacher or a parent and probe as much as possible in order to find out what the child might be going through.

Some of the physical signs of bullying may include, bruises, unexplained wounds and cuts, sometimes headaches and stomach aches, especially if the child is unable to explain. The psychological effects of bullying may be more pronounced than that of the physical, some children end up becoming withdrawn, struggle to focus and become very anti-social, if you notice any of these signs in children try to have conversations with them that can lead a child to opening up about the situation. Alternatively if your child or a child that you know, is unable to communicate or refuses to communicate regarding what they are going through, it is highly recommended to either refer them to a family member or family friend, preferably an adult that they feel more comfortable speaking to, or to seek professional help. Whichever method that works in getting the child to open up, the sooner you act the better chances you have of curbing the situation and assisting the young individual, and taking them out of harms way.

A study conducted by the National Center for Education and Statistics(NCES) in the United States, showed about 22% of children aged between 12 and 18 reported being bullied during the school year, 15% being the subject of rumours, 14% reported being made fun of and called names, 6% reported being excluded from activities on purpose; and 5% reported being pushed, shoved, tripped over, or spat on.

The same study shows that children who attended schools in rural areas and where bullied showed a greater chance of reporting the incident than those who attended schools in the city or town. Whereas children are less likely to report bullying at a more affluent school than a regular school; which brings about the question of access to to certain things like social media and having the privilege of owning expensive items has an influence in regards to peer pressure, popularity and self esteem.