By Edu Abade
Bullying, which is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing, comments, or threats, in order to abuse, aggressively dominate, or intimidate others, has been identified as a psychological issue that requires attention and sensitization, especially among young people.
Bullying cases have been recorded in numerous schools across Nigeria, without much attention given to remedies and sensitization against bullying.
Repeated acts of violence and cruelty are not developed in a day, but are picked up by perpetrators at a young age and will continue in adulthood if not corrected and may lead to bullying in work environments, business places, churches and other public/ social environments.
In a bid to tackle early bullying behavior and violence among teenagers and adolescents, the Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) in collaboration with Equality Development and Research Center (EDR Center) organized an Anti-Bullying Training for Secondary School Students.
A statement made available to journalists by Media Manager of EDEN, Elvira Jordan, affirmed that the training was held at the Deeper Life High School, Benin Campus, Edo State, where teachers and students were trained on how to recognize bullying behaviors among students, as well as the need to speak up and to accommodate bullying complaints from students.
Executive Director of EDR Center, Mrs. Marshall Nwanne stated that the Anti-Bullying training was organized to inculcate the culture of tolerance, mutual respect, diplomacy and love amongst the children of the school, with the aim of eradicating all forms of bullying in the society, starting from the early stages, which is the secondary school level.
In her lecture to the students, Nwanne described School bullying in Nigeria as a pressing issue that affects the well-being and education of countless young people. She added that understanding the contributing factors and the various forms of bullying is crucial to addressing this problem and creating a safer, more inclusive school environment.
She told the students that bystanders who do not intervene are just as responsible for enabling bullying to continue, adding that the Nigerian youths have a moral duty to stand up against bullying and create a more just and compassionate school environment.
Nwanne listed mental health issues, low academic performance and social isolation as some of the impacts of bullying on the victims, while the bullies can be affected by legal consequences, emotional distress and social isolation.
While addressing the teachers on how to spot bullying behavior and the need to give a listening ear to students who have issues to report, she also shared anti-bullying affirmations for teachers to absorb into their daily learning activities, as these affirmations and indoctrination against bullying will shape the daily lives of the students within and outside the school environment.
Also speaking at the event, the Principal of the school, Mr. Banji Akiode, who commended the organizations for the initiative of tackling bullying among young people, said understanding the characteristics of bullying behaviors as well as the traits of those who bully and those who are bullied can provide valuable insight for creating a safer and more supportive environment for students.
“Our purpose is to unite as a community against bullying and to ensure that every student understands the role they play in fostering kindness, understanding and support in the school environment, creating a school environment where everyone feels safe, valued and respected,” he said.
Some of the characteristics of bullying, the principal said, are the desire for control, lack of empathy, impulsivity, seeking attention or status, manipulative behavior, insecurity and low self-esteem.
On his part, Executive Director of EDEN, Barrister Chima Williams, stated that bullying has been an issue in Nigeria at various levels, especially in schools, offices, work places among youths and almost every angle of today’s society. According to him, as a parent, the protection of children remains paramount, hence the need to eradicate all forms of violence and bullying in secondary schools, as a bedrock for ensuring unity, love and coexistence among students.
He added that the training was organized to redirect the minds of the young ones from bullying, to imbibe the anti-bullying culture in a bid to catch them young, against the traits that have been overlooked in the past, which has escalated into workplace bullying and other parts of the society.
Williams called on the public to join hands to expose the ugliness of bullying and to ensure that we catch the young ones at an early stage, and let them know that there is no gratification in being a bully.
The training also featured role-play of bullying scenarios by the students, and the distribution of “Anti-bullying Diaries” where students can document their good deeds as Anti-Bullying ambassadors.
