Sosh police visit school on anti-bullying campaign
Bullying is identified as the instigator of an unsafe schooling environment as victims experience effects such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, lack of self-esteem, and addiction to alcohol and drugs.
The Soshanguve police have urged learners at Thutong junior secondary school in Block K to refrain from substance abuse, bullying, gambling and carrying weapons.
The police had visited the learners following reports of bullying and other concerning behaviour by learners at the school recently, said police spokesperson Nhlanhla Zondi.
Zondi said they meant to nip these issues in the bud early in the year, and remind learners that the police are around, should they think of conducting themselves inappropriately on the school premises.
“The school had bullying issues in the past and we needed to remind the learners that bullying is wrong and not welcome in school,” he said.
He added that when cases are opened, the police engage with the parents of the learners involved.
He said the learners were receptive to the police visit and what they taught them regarding bullying.
“Lessons like these help improve the safety of learners. They know that they’re in a safe environment knowing that we are there,” he said.
Zondi said they’ve never returned to the same school after such a visit.
He said they also urged teachers to monitor the behaviour of learners and ensure they create a parent-child relationship rather than just being educators.
“That will enable the victims of bullying to open up,” he said.
Principal Elizabeth Motlana was delighted to have the local law enforcers present to speak to the learners and urged the police to continue throughout the year to curb crime and other unruly behaviour at schools.
Bullying is identified as the instigation of an unsafe environment that result in victims experiencing anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, reduced self-esteem and addiction to alcohol and drugs.
These are the ways you can be bullied in schools according to Childline South Africa:
– People calling you names
– Making things up against you to get you into trouble
– Hitting, pinching, biting, pushing and shoving
– Taking things away from you – like your lunchbox
– Damaging your property
– Stealing your money
– Taking your friends away from you
– Spreading rumours about you
– Threats and intimidation
What you can do if you are hurt in school:
Speak out: You may not want to tell anyone about this because it shows that you are vulnerable but it’s important to speak to a parent, teacher, friend, brother, sister or caregiver.
When you see someone being bullied, report it in secret to the teacher don’t just keep quiet. You can help someone else.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
