By Olwetu Kota
The St Mary`s Development Care Centre (DCC) and the Makanda Children`s Rights Coalition conducted an anti bullying campaign at Amasango Career school last week.
The objective of the campaign was to see if children understood the impact of bullying in their lives and how in affects them at school, and in the community on a daily basis.
The awareness also sought to encourage schools to create value-based systems that helped enable children to deal with violent situations the best way possible.
The school’s involvement in raising awareness creates policies and procedures to deal with bullying, improving supervision of teachers and learners, in order to deal with conflicts and thereby making the school a safe environment, said DCC spokesperson Olwethu Kota.
It was hoped that the outcomes would help provide safe spaces for children – so that they are able to try new ideas including taking risks and developing their mindsets, confidence, belonging and acceptance, while ensuring children feel free without being excluded or bullied.
One of the exercises done was to allow children to express their feelings in that current moment using different kinds of Emoji’s.
Nervous: 6 children
Frustrated/confused: 0 children
Worried: 0 Children
Sad:2 children
Happy: 16 children
Scared: 6 children
Angry: 0 children
“People tend to expect children to have the same feelings as theirs without talking and listening to them which sometimes affects their self-esteem. The exercise was also part of encouragement to children,” Kota said.
“Bullying is now regarded as a health problem and not just a disciplinary problem. Increased evidence shows both traditional bullying (eg: hitting and teasing, and cyber bullying) have lasting effects on young people. Both for those who are bullies and those who are bullied, the results include damage to self-esteem, academic results and mental health,” said an Elethon Kids’ Institution’s representative.
“It feels like a burden has been taken off my shoulders. I am no longer keeping quiet about what is happening to me. I will stand firm,” said Elam Hempe.
The children were shown pictures of places at their schools where they feel safe and unsafe, and were given an opportunity to state reasons why the feel unsafe or safe in those particular places.
It emerged from the sessions that playgrounds are often places where bullying occurs and teachers never notice because it happens when most of them are not around with children.
“Bullying is not accepted because in most cases children become suicidal and vulnerable to each other. It is our duty as children’s rights practitioners, parents and the community at large to protect each and every child. Section 28 in the Bill of Rights applies to everyone in insuring children’s rights.”
