The association representing teachers in Dominica has raised the alarm over bullying in schools.
It is a concern that is challenging for teachers to address, said Celia Nicholas, head of the Dominica Association of Teachers.
Teachers often have to face silence from students who are afraid of becoming victims themselves, if they report on bullying incidents, she said.
“Something happens and they know about it and they do not want to talk about it, even if they know what has been done is wrong,” she said.
Teachers have to be very cautious when seeking information from students to safeguard those who are innocent.
Nicholas said bullying in Dominican schools sometimes involves students using their cell phones, on school compound, to place embarrassing photos of their peers on the internet.
Bullying, the act of aggressive behavior to affect others, is not often highlighted publicly as one of the major issues facing Dominican schools, but teachers say it has been happening.
Can remember a friend of mine went to a meeting to discuss that at all girls primary school in Roseau. Her daughter was in grade 2 and had already decided to join those doing the bullying. I was astounded.
My mummy always told me that i should never look other people trouble rather live dem be but my she also told me that i should never allow persons to walk on me, i have been bullied and every time it happen i reported it but things never change, so then i finally took matters into my own hand and now those same bullies turn dere head when they see me walking.
the four steps to solving a problem according to seth:
1) admit that there is a problem
2) understand the problem
3) find a solution
4) implement that solution
ok so we are already at step 1. step 2 now is to understand the problem. what needs to be done now is to have some psychological evaluations or assessment of these individuals (not letting them know the reason of course) to get an idea of the root causes of these situations. From there we can move on to step 3.
that’s where gangs in school begins because if one student is being bullied by another student, that particular student might just feel more secure & comfortable by forming a gang in order to protect themself from the bully in & out of school. instead of reportng it to a teacher.
this schools need monitors to patrol the school grounds,especially at break time or play times.
Talk about bullying, I know what it is, my mum has gotten into trouble for her kids that were being harrassed by other kids in the neighborhood.
These days, it is even more frightening. So many times I have to walk up to children and put a stop to some fight or some mepwee, I think it is just crazy.
No one knows the emotional and psychological impact that these types of abuses have on children. The sad thing is, most kids that are under attack are kids that really have some potential, and kids that are doing the attack are those that are having a hard time making a passing grade.
So when you evaluate, this bullying thing is having a catastrophic impact, threatening to totally destroy the future of our young promising individuals.
Bullying has been going on since the beginning of time. The schools need to have rules of conduct and the students need to follow them. Unfortunately, when school is out, the bully will meet you on the street off the school grounds. It comes down to either circumventing or confronting the bully. Travel in groups.
Like everything else the authorities are just going to sit back and watch.
REMEMBER some years ago their was a killing at a certain school, the boy was being bullied and no one stood for him. one day he did stand up and perhaps we forget the results.so we should all stop pretending that it is the first time we are hearing that.
In school u can either fight them and if you do you will be branded as undiscipline, or u can join them, and be part of the gang. they know the truth.why don’t they speak it.
you see, here’s the thing…I have kids of my own and having been a victim of bullying at high school myself, I would NOT take it lightly to know that anyone is harassing my babies, I am one that will go to her majesty’s prison for any one of those children who parents continue to let their little animals out of their cages to harass other peoples children. be mindful that there are crazy people like me out there who are just waiting to make an example out of one of them NO MATTER THE COST…. Ma Joe, how’s the feeling nuh, take care tan, love you!
preach it sistter!!!!
Wee need to deal with it now before it becomes a monster. Bullying is not to be tolerated and those invoved need to be disciplined severely. Any outside interference like big cousin and gansta pardner etc needs to be taken to the police. We need to send a clear signal now before we can not do anything about it.
I am happy that this issue has been brought to the fore. My son was bullied from primary to high school, and he developed a strong hatred for school which affected his performance. Not only was he bullied at school but also out of school and onto the streets. I sincerely hope that something can and will be done to correct this so that another child’s talent will not go to waste.
I’m very happy that this topic has emerged because I took the bus to work on Friday and there was this Grammar School boy on valley road making fun of another grammar school girl calling her his ugly wife. What he doesn’t realise that he too is not even good looking but what made it the more unsettling is that the other school mates were encouraging this behaviour. And it is not good. There should be a major campaign in all schools to put a stop to this immediately. Children in other countries have taken their own lives over this kind of harrassment.
It would be nice if we could correct those who are doing those things in our presence,in a nice way. I mean, we can always say something that could discourage the behaviour, what do you think?
I have tried correcting children and I just get what that coming for me. I blame the parents most of the time. We need to start raising children old school. Parents putting their hand in fire for their kids too much nowadays.