“Do not be bullied out of your common sense by the specialist; two to one, he is a pedant.” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
Bullying is the act of intentionally causing harm to others, through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation.
It is compulsory for schools to have measures in place to encourage good behaviour and respect for others on the part of pupils, and to prevent all forms of bulling.
However some will agree to disagree that bullying at school can actually be good for children. Teachers should not protect pupils from playground spats as they can help them handle difficult events in the future. But after a tragic schoolyard brawl, we have now raised questions about the safety of students at schools.
Jai Morcom, was a 15 year old student who found himself at the centre of a school yard brawl. Jai suffered a head injury during the brawl and died the next day. The school is now a crime zone and some blame the principal and question the safety of students, where others blame the Education Department.
The question is not who is to blame, it’s whether our efforts against bullying are making any differences in today’s society or if a different approach could be the solution. While teasing, arguing and overcoming differences are all a natural part of growing up, bullying is a problem that effects millions of students. Bullying behaviour can traumatize pupils and if ignored it can escale into more problematic behaviours.
Bullying occurs in schooll yards, at work, at home and now in cyber space – it’s a dilemma that most have lived or experienced; and will probably always exist. We need strong and creative solutions to help individuals deal with such situation.
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