That is according to Mosa Moremi, Children’s Rights Activist at SOS Children’s Village, who says bullying is not necessarily a problem between the bully and the victim alone, but a group phenomenon which happens in a context of complex factors that promote and maintain the behaviour.
‘It is up to all of us to take a stance and teach our children that we are all the same, despite all our differences.
‘We need to accept one another irrespective of our backgrounds, because bullying at its core, is about the failure to accept others from different backgrounds, who are seen as inferior or less developed.’
Bullying can manifest as:
* a physical act, like pushing, punching and kicking
* a verbal act, like social gossip, name calling and threats
* cyber bullying on social media platforms, chat programs, text messages and e-mails.
All forms of bullying can potentially be devastating, causing physical and emotional harm to the perpetrator and the victim, such as depression and suicidal tendencies, says Moremi.
When a child is bullied at school, it normally happens in full view of other children who either encourage or discourage the act.
The bully usually also continues the violence outside the school environment, although some bullies react differently to different people.
Aggression
In the cycle of violence, people play different roles such as observers, bystanders, the actual victim experiencing the bullying and the perpetrator.
Bullies typically have conduct or behaviour problems such as delinquency, depression and anxiety.
It is closely related to attention seeking syndrome by individuals who are emotionally unstable, display acts of aggression, have no regard or respect for others and have often been bullied themselves.
Victims can have physical attributes that distinguish them from others and are labelled as being different and are less popular.
They are frequently rejected by peers, have low esteem, are lonely and withdrawn or come from poor socio-economic and different cultural backgrounds.
‘In public settings such as schools and churches these children are habitually taunted and made to feel small.
‘The child eventually withdraws and isolates him or herself, which regularly leads to an escalation in bullying.
‘There are even instances where these children are bullied by teachers and other adults who tease them and call them names when they need special attention in class or otherwise, which can potentially destroy the victim’s faith in those that should portray the role of a mentor or protector.’
The circumstances that cultivate the playing field for bullying could originate in the family unit where a child is given wrong or no discipline.
It could also result from a stern, authoritarian family member or inadequate role models.
Peer norms, socio-cultural norms or political practices that encourage provocative behaviour, are also in the mix.
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