SHOCKED and angered by the photograph of a little girl with a bloody nose rips you right back into the reality of bullying in our schools!
What are children thinking? What happens to our children in their homes? Do we even have parents who care that their children are labelled as bullies?
Where in your wildest disillusioned world would you imagine a young boy giving a girl a right hook while in their rows between classes, and she ends up with a bloody nose? So much so that she has to go to the clothing bank at the school to get a clean dress.
And then, for that bully to utter disgusting words of warning, to the effect that she has to tell her brother there is more of that coming his way…
What makes this right? Was that boy ever reprimanded? Was it ever reported? How long did it take for the mother of the bullied child to be informed?
And the incidences of bullying are not isolated. It is a common thing in schools and it is getting more and more violent. And again we are faced with the question: When did things get so completely out of hand?
Long gone are the days when a shuffle on the rugby field was just a shuffle. We now sit with parents who can and should lay criminal charges – assault with the intend to cause bodily harm, malicious damage to property and we can carry on.
The situation in our schools are far more than isolated cases of boys just being boys or girls just being catty. It is assault, it is physical abuse, it is emotional abuse, it is damage to property. Property for which parents pay with their hard-earned money. It is violent, it is against the law – it is criminal!
The tendency to bully must surely start somewhere and most likely with a problem at home. We need to find serious answers as to why our children are bullies! Why does our system not make provision for proper counselling at schools? Why does our system allow things to get completely out of hand and then we want to start looking for a cure?
It has to stop and it has to stop now. Parents should take schools and the Gauteng Department of Education to task to ensure that the root of this evil in our schools is eradicated. The Department and schools must ensure that the systems are in place to deal with these things as and when it happens – to deal with the bully and the bullied.
Our society should draw the line today and say we are done with the sick side of society – we are bringing in the cure and we are demanding the means to cure. Far too much are being tolerated from children who run around like loose cannons, thinking it is all right to spread ugly rumours, to belittle other children, to break their property, to physically harm them.
Our society must stand up today and demand, and we should not settle for less than actual action. Because the one thing that gets me hot under the collar is the fact that doors shut tight and lips are sealed when it comes to a reporter asking any government school comment about these incidents. And we find ourselves knocking on Fort Knox’s doors until doomsday.
Principals please take note: We are not there to name and shame schools, we are there to fight what already seems like a losing battle, because apparently all schools live in utter denial when it comes to anything negative in schools. Principals are not allowed to give comment or to speak to newspapers. We must speak to the department? These things are not happening in the department. It is happening in our schools to our children. And by the way – have you tried to get information from the Gauteng Department of Education?
Principals are not allowed to give information of the chairman of the governing body of the school? Why not? Why do schools then have these bodies in place? Somebody must be held accountable and somebody must steer this into a direction where children can get help – proper help – those who bully and those who are bullied!
We call on parents to please come forward if their children are being bullied and even comments from teachers who have to deal with this. Confidential emails or comments can be send to cvdwalt@caxton.co.za
Important: A child under the age of 18 cannot be arrested. However, should your child fall victim to an under-aged bully, you as parents can still go to the police station to “lay charges” against the minor, The Child Protection Unit will then be called in to investigate.
For counselling and legal assistance, call Alberton Victim Support: 083 923 1967.
