By Abrefa Naana Abena (UniMAC-IJ, Faculty of Journalism and Media Studies, Email: abrefanaanaabena6@gmail.com)
Bullying is one of the worst forms of trauma any one can go through, especially a child – one in Africa. Bullying comes in different forms, even when it seems like a harmless punishment. In Africa, there is no such thing as bullying, just harsh disciplining. It happens mostly at boarding schools and, sometimes, at home. Children are either verbally, emotionally or physically assaulted but in the eyes of the elderly, they are training them. If the child tries to tell them how he or she is feeling, the parents or the elderly brushes the child’s cry aside and sees it as the child trying to escape the normal routine of being brought up the right way.
In the defence of the elderly, they use the famous adage “Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child.” There’s nothing wrong with that saying. However, some of them take this too seriously and at heart and use extreme ways to put this in effect. At home, when a parent wants to discipline their child, they resort to corporal punishment. If they do not give them a whooping with either a belt or wooden cane, they grind ginger and sometimes add pepper. The juice gotten out of the grounded ginger and pepper is poured into a scientific instrument called Rectal Enema Bulb, locally known as ‘bentua’, and inserted into the private parts of the child and squeezed. In the case of the girl child, it is into her vagina and in the case of the male child, it is into his rectum. African parents have very creative ways of punishing their kids no matter the aftermath it has on their child. After all, they went through the same thing with their parents. Some children have strained relationships with their parents not because they are disrespectful or do not want to but because of the treatment they receive from their parents who sees it as disciplining them. When children try to get their parents to see things from their point of view, they are rather shut down because to them (the parents), they are on the right side of things and only want what is best for them.
Bullying in secondary schools however, are on a different level. Secondary school bullying, if not looked into, can cause a child to actually take their lives. Some traditions in secondary schools are so horrifying and yet that is what they are – traditions. Seniors in secondary schools feel it is their rights to discipline people’s children in the most horrifying ways possible. Some schools have seniors beating the back of their junior’s hand with sandals. Some also use their seniority to bully their juniors to give them their provisions or even their money and when the junior refuses, he or she is subjected to a harsh yet unnecessary punishment. Mostly, the junior cannot say he or she will not heed to the senior’s requests for fear of being punished. Boarding house or school’s training should not have to be a traumatic experience but an educational and maybe even an entertaining one. Unfortunately, some students complete secondary schools having experienced the worst three years of their lives. They can’t complain to authority because as said, they are traditions. Everyone has to experience them. If not, you did not have the ‘Senior High School Experience.’ An experience that follows them for time immemorial leaving a permanent hidden scar in their minds and hearts.
According to Dr. Derrick Nana Anim, the Medical Officer at Lighthouse Chapel Hospital, bullied individuals can end up in a state of depression and even go into a form of defensive mood and end up attacking people who bully them. Aside that, the child will look down upon themselves and would want to correct certain things about themselves they believe are not right. He also shed light on the fact that some people condemn others based on their social status. This is where sometimes the bullied person or persons resort to violence or either become depressed.
“There are some instances where a depressed child, as a result of bullying, ends up taking drugs and affecting the mental state and physical well-being of the child. This can have adverse effects on the child’s health. Some of them can even go to the extreme of attempting suicide.” He stated.
As a victim and survivor of bullying, this is to ascertain the fact that if care is not taken, the number of deaths that will be recorded as a result of bullying will surpass the number of vehicular accidents.
I therefore urge parents to listen to their children when it sometimes comes to the harsh treatments they subject them to in the hopes of training them. Also, authorities in secondary schools should find ways to abolish the vile and ruthless traditions that are passed on to students in order for the students to be able to complete their secondary school education successfully and peacefully without any problems.
