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Latwell Nyangu Youth Interactive Writer
College is a time of transition.
And the educational journey is rich with several goals but most at times challenging with ups and downs. There isn’t much close supervision by adults or parents while students are away at college.
Naturally, students may want to experiment with alcohol, partying or recreational drugs, especially if all of their new classmates are doing so.
Some of the things we do at college or school are intentional or unintentional and it can be as a result of influence. At times it’s peer pressure which doesn’t even have to be spoken. Often, students model themselves on the behaviour of the people that they are surrounded by.
If you are the only one not drinking at a party, you may be more inclined to accept the next drink that you are offered.
All these are part of college or school life.
But one thing that caught my attention is bullying which I regard as an outdated experiment at any learning institution.
Videos or reports of bullying from schools have become a common thing with the victims continuing to suffer at the hands of their bullies.
Bullying in most academic settings is socially or culturally ingrained from other bullies. When any student is bullied, he or she intends to bully other young ones in later years, making the chain inelastic.
My career as a journalist, I have reported many cases of bullying in schools and I am still receiving reports from different parents who are not happy with how bullying is handled.
Most of the cases die natural deaths yet the victims remain vulnerable .The recent video of students who were forced to slap each other, made me express such incidents of bullying at learning institutions.
There is nothing fashionable about bullying each other. With the new world order, there are many ways of making a name at college or school other than beating or bullying other vulnerable students.
Bullying can take many forms, from peer pressure to hazing, none of which are good.
The effects of bullying have seen some students showing less academic improvement due to a fear of standing out. As a result, teachers or lecturers often identify those students as low achievers or unmotivated learners. Despite such incidents, it remained a mystery on how such bullies are dealt with.
Bullying is no longer considered as a normal rite of passage, but a primary public health problem, which is known to pose serious long-term impacts on the victims.
You have a right to make your own choices but not to be a subject of violence, abuse, or stress for wanting to do so. Some of the suicides we have witnessed from students maybe as result of bullying as it can lead to mental distress, and in extreme cases, injury or death.
The cure for bullying is simple, respect others and treat them the same way you would want to be treated. I have also noticed some students who still think being a bully makes them more popular at school or college which is not even fashionable in this era.
There are things which are not said, and they keep happening at school, some students are forced to bring lunch boxes for prefects or buy them lunch. Due to fear, the victims keep doing so, but say it so that you enjoy your best days at school.
Being a student is one thing that makes our lives go well. If you have never been a student, you could have missed a lot.
But however, I still feel for those who missed school due to different reasons, most of them beyond their control. It shall be well.
Most students end up doing wrong things, as a result of trying to prove a point.
But I repeat there is nothing special in proving a point in bullying each other.
All people are influenced by the friends that they surround themselves with, so surround yourself with successful people whom you admire and aspire to be like.
Many people believe that bullying is predominantly a problem not only in schools, but bullying can and does occur on college campuses or anywhere. As you get older, bullying is often referred to by the specific form it takes.
It can include stalking, harassment, cyber-bullying, hazing, or hate speech. In reality, any aggressive behaviour in which one person repeatedly exerts power over another to coerce or intimidate is bullying.
Peer pressure, then, can be a form of bullying. These behaviours almost always violate one’s right and freedom.
Issues of bullying often are associated with younger students, however, students in higher education are not immune to these behaviours.
As entering college students learn to navigate their new and likely wider social networks on campus, they continue to be at risk for experiencing physical, relational, and cyber forms of bullying. Research suggests that bullying is a widespread issue on college campuses.
College also creates an environment of broader social networks, novel peer interactions, and changes in the balance of power among students.
There are some students who think there is something special to brag about in bullying others.
Honestly, bullying is a sign of cowardice and reflects some weaknesses in such individuals.
My duty this week was triggered by rising cases of bullying in schools.
Despite my concentration mainly on college reflections, I also have a passport to oversee what is happening in schools.
Social media is packed with videos of some bullies and there are some students from different schools which I will not mention who are giving fellow students hard times and even pushing them not to come to school, in fear of victimisation.
Fellow learners let us desist from bullying each other, it’s a redundant tactic of getting fame at school.
Growing up, yes we used to see some students bullying each other but not in this era. During that time, you would see bullies gaining prominence at school but honestly beating others or tormenting others has no reward anywhere.
It’s no longer fashionable and it’s a sign of cowardice. If you want to make a name at school these days, use flamboyance, money, being good in school, sports among other good initiatives rather than beating others. If you get into a situation where you feel uncomfortable, you have every right to leave. Otherwise, stand up for what you believe in, and eventually, once people get to know you, they will stop asking. If you see someone else being pressured, step in. It’s okay to be an individual and not follow along with the crowd.
Bullying remains a serious threat to the entire school population, and boys appear to be more involved in bullying than girls across all bully status groups.
There exists a strong correlation between bullying and academic performance, as evidenced in the student’s loss of concentration during lectures. Schools and homes are not always safe due to bullying, and the act of bullying affects the emotional, social, and physical wellbeing of a school-aged child.
Bullying is no longer fashionable!
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter