Words that scar, actions that break spirits

This article is authored by Anuradha, regional lead, academics, Edunation Services Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad.

Bullying is seen as a prevalent construct in many Indian schools. Children are usually taught to deal with bullying but there is not enough emphasis on why bullying should not take place at all. A simple definition of bullying is causing harm intentionally, it could be verbal, physical, social.

Growing challenge of bullying(Pexels )

Class dynamics play a huge role in who gets bullied. A student who always energetically raises his hand to answer in class became silent because of the whispers of his classmates followed by their laughter. They gave him a name that altered his behaviour entirely. As a result, he is emotionally scarred from low-self-esteem to social insecurities and the humiliation did not stop in the classroom, it carried on to the playgrounds, cafeteria, and the school bus and even inside his own home as cyberbullying. In a 2024 report from National Institute of Health, 19.2% of children in India are bullied through social media and a significant number through video gaming and related platforms.

Power imbalance brings bullying into the room. A bully is often someone who sees himself lacking in an aspect and to compensate and feel better projects that negativity onto others. The alarming fact is that as soon as any kind of intervention happens during bullying, the bullies drop the act quickly enough and, in many cases, never pursue the same person again.

Parents around India are continuously reporting accounts of bullying in school. One in four students on an average is bullied in India. This is such a loud call to action to make schools a better place for the children. Teachers and parents must work together to create a safe environment for the kids to speak up when such sensitive matters arise.

Every educational institution has “No Bullying” on their walls but how much do they practise it? Fancy campaigns and catchy slogans alone are not enough to eradicate something as disturbing as bullying. The solution is talking, interacting and the knack to make students feel comfortable.

Strict rules have to be enacted to handle bullying. Expelling or suspension is not the first option. There is an underlying motive behind the behaviour of the bully that needs to be addressed in order to help the bully recover and refrain from bullying. Counselling is a must in schools and as a society, we should stop seeing counselling through such a narrow lens. The bullies can be made to understand the emotional impact they caused on the bullied in the presence of a professional and a teacher so each of them understand their perspectives.

Punishment is another misconception. Hitting and scolding is not a solution because bullying is not a careless mistake. The bully should be pushed to understand the effects of his or her actions and be guided to feel empathy.

Schools cannot work on the basis of punishing the bully and protecting the bullied. The schools should work towards building a system that does not run only on fear. Empathy and kindness must be the foundational pillars that children should be built on for breaking the bullying cycles.

This article is authored by Anuradha, regional lead, academics, Edunation Services Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad.