Police warn and inform against bullying in schools

After a recent spike in school bullying, Colonel Adéle Myburgh shared information about bullying, explaining what it is and how to limit or prevent it. “I must mention that it is against Section 61, Chapter 2.4 of the South African School’s Act, Act 1996, to allow any dangerous object into the public school, carry any dangerous object, store any dangerous object or carry illegal drugs,” Col. Myburgh states. “Bullying appears to cause much of the violence in schools. It manifests in a form of aggressive behaviour that is intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength. It is planned, calculated, intended to hurt, is repeated and can be physical or verbal,” Myburgh explains. Both boys and girls can be bullies or bullied. The bully intends to hurt and cause pain and distress for the victim.

The five main types of bullying:

Teasing: Verbal violence. It can be the most dangerous and long-lasting form of bullying. Teasing includes name-calling, insults, verbal demands or threats and includes cyberbullying.

Exclusion: Social manipulation. A bully will tell a child, “You can’t sit with us”. It may involve body language, like getting up and moving away when the victim joins the group. The “silent treatment”, threatening poses and gestures, and malicious gossip designed to turn others against the victim also fall under Exclusion.

Physical bullying: Regularly attacking someone weaker by pushing, shoving, kicking, hitting and tripping the child. It can also include stealing lunch or other possessions and damaging property.

Harassment: Generally involves repeated annoying questions, statements or attacks about sexuality, gender, race, religion or nationality. Cyberbullying: Bullying that happens online and via cell phones. Websites like YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat allow kids to send hurtful, ongoing messages to other children 24 hours a day. Some sites, like Instagram, allow anonymous messages. Indirect cyberbullying involves sending text messages belittling the victim, making untrue claims or sending embarrassing pictures around.

How to look out for indications that your child is bullied:

Your child returns home from school with unexplained bruises and cuts. Your child changes their usual route when walking to school or is too frightened to walk there. Torn school uniforms or other items like school books. Your child is hungry because someone has taken their lunch or lunch money. Your child is hesitant to go to school, has a decreased appetite, nightmares, crying or has general depression and anxiety.

How to support your child if they are the victim:

Talk to them about their feelings. Let them know you will help and support them and that they shouldn’t fight back. Do not overreact or take their phone or other devices. Increase their confidence. Discuss it with the school teacher involved. If nothing changes, contact the principal through a formal letter. If still nothing changes, move your child to a different school.

What to do if your child is the bully:

Bullies need help and support. Find out why your child is a bully and talk to them about it. Consider involving the child’s school teacher.

How students can limit/prevent bullying:

-Report bullying and cyberbullying of yourself or another student to a parent or adult you trust, like a teacher, coach or principal. -Bullying is wrong and should be handled by an adult. -Don’t bully back. Try not to show anger or tears. Either calmly tell the bully to stop bullying or simply walk away. -Avoid being alone. Try to do everything with one or more friends. Avoid areas where the bully can get to you.

How schools can limit bullying:

Be knowledgeable and observant. Bullying generally happens in bathrooms, the playground, crowded hallways, and school buses and via cell phones and computers (where supervision is limited or absent) and must be taken seriously. Teachers should emphasise that victims should speak up. If a teacher sees bullying in a classroom, they must intervene immediately. Involve students and parents when you investigate bullying at your school; they are part of the solution. Parents, teachers and older students can serve as mentors and inform younger students about safe practices on the Internet.

How to limit/prevent cyberbullying:

Tell your child not to reply to nasty comments. Change codes and passwords on devices and only tell close friends. Alter the voicemail so the bully doesn’t know who he is calling. Let parents reply to the bully. Block the bully’s emails and other social media accounts like Instagram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Tape record or print out a copy and give it to the school or the police – it may be a criminal offence. Reply: ‘Your message has been forwarded to the police’ and turn off the phone.