Bullying, a Vicious Circle That Must Be Stopped

Bullying is a toxic issue in schools, with detrimental effects on the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of students. It takes various forms, including physical violence, verbal abuse, social exclusion, and cyberbullying. It can be student to student, teacher to student, student to teacher or even parents to children.

It cuts across all age groups and has long-lasting consequences for both victims and perpetrators. In Nigerian schools, bullying often goes unchecked due to a lack of awareness, inadequate reporting mechanisms, and a culture of silence that perpetuates the cycle of abuse.

From elementary school, cult groups threaten and force their colleagues to join their nefarious groups; it is more pronounced at the secondary and tertiary tiers.

In Nigeria, there is a lack of comprehensive anti-bullying policies to address the issue directly. This should change with a focus on it at every level of education.

Last week, videos emerged online from Abuja International School of a female student slapping her schoolmate repeatedly. Other videos captured how senior students maltreated and physically abused junior students over flimsy matters. Some pupils allege that when issues like this are reported to the school authorities, they are treated with levity.

Following the incident, the bullied student, Namtira Bwala, and other parents have threatened a lawsuit if the Abuja school fails to sanction abusers. “Our client and several other parents in Lead British International School have informed us that this bullying is a recurring issue in the school,” the solicitors said.

She urged the school authorities to immediately investigate and pronounce the stiffest possible sanctions in the student’s rule book on Maryam Hassan, Faliya, and nine other students who bullied her.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, shut down the school due to the incident.

However, in a letter through her solicitors, Deji Adeyanju and Partners, Miss Bwala said that if the school authorities failed to sanction the student bullies within 48 hours of receiving the letter, she would seek legal redress against the school.

“We are Solicitors to Miss Namtira Bwala (acting through her next friend), from now on referred to as our client, on whose instruction we act.

“Our client and several other parents in Lead British International School have informed us, and we certainly believe them, that this act of bullying is a recurring issue in the school, and despite several attempts to draw the school’s attention to it, the problem has persisted, leaving our client traumatised from the emotional and physical effect of the oppressive acts by these daredevil bullies.

“Regrettably, our client has, once again, been subjected to physical attacks in the hands of these bullies, with the video of the act going viral on social media,” the letter said.

Miss Bwala’s lawyers lamented that rather than address the issue head-on by imposing severe sanctions on the student bullies, the school issued a timid statement lacking in force or recognition of the severity of the situation.

Miss BwaLa disassociated herself from the school’s statement on 22 April, in which the case was referred to as an ‘incident between minors.’

“Sequel to the preceding, we have our client’s instruction to demand the immediate investigation and the pronouncement of the stiffest possible sanctions in the student’s rule book on Ms Maryam Hassan, Miss Faliya and nine other students who have formed a cult of bullies in Lead British International School, Gwarimpa, Abuja.

“Please note that if the school fails to sanction the student bullies within 48 hours of receiving this letter, we have our client’s further instruction to seek immediate and severe legal redress against Lead British International School, Gwarimpa, without further recourse to you,” the letter added.

The school was criticised on social media following the circulation of the disturbing videos. The victim in the video was slapped several times, leading to a public reaction, with many condemning the actions seen in the videos and urging the school authorities to discipline those responsible.

Abraham Ogunkambi, the Head of Lead British International School, issued a statement detailing the steps the school is taking.

“The school management is treating this matter with the utmost seriousness,” Ogunkambi asserted. He added that the school has already been in contact with the victim and her parents, offering support and counselling services to help them manage the emotional and psychological effects of the incident.”

The school added that a panel was also set up to investigate the matter and other school bullying allegations.

Bullying in schools is a vicious circle. All hands must be on deck to reduce the menace eating our society.

Photo Source: Online.