Bullying in educational institutions needs proper attention

Bullying in educational institutions needs proper
attention

Farhad Uddin Ahmed Bhuiyan

Bullying is a deliberate, unwanted, aggressive and insensitive behavior or disrespectful attitudes
towards classmates although it is very often evident in other areas such as workplaces too. It
means the use of force or abuse of power, teasing, hitting, punching, name calling, yelling at
someone in anger, spitting, tripping or pushing, inappropriate sexual comments, physical
violence, taunting, threatening to cause harm, spreading rumors, attacking physically and
verbally, damaging property and excluding someone from a group, society or community. It can
involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more
persons who feels unable to stop it from happening.
Types of bullying
There are a number of ways in which bullying takes place. These include verbal, physical,
psychological, emotional, cyber, and sexual bullying. Direct bullying refers to an open physical
violence, damaging property or verbal attack on a victim. Indirect bullying is more subtle and
harder to detect, but involves one or more forms of relational aggression, including social
isolation via intentional exclusion, physical gestures, spreading rumors to defame the target's
character or reputation, making faces or obscene gestures behind the target's back, and
manipulating friendships or other relationships. Pack bullying is bullying undertaken by a group.

There is evidence that pack bullying was more common in high schools than in lower grades and
lasts longer than bullying undertaken by individuals.
Although bullying occurs frequently in our educational institutions especially in schools and
colleges, we do not have any institutional programme to handle it. School authorities are morally
obliged to provide a safe physical and emotional environment to the students but there is no law
to make it compulsory. Although some schools lay importance on reducing the extent of
bullying, some teachers do not regard it as a major problem. Bullying is harmful because the
bullied feel lonely, unsafe, unhappy and frightened. They always suffer from inferiority complex
and lack of confidence. They feel uninterested to go to school, remain isolated from friends,
parents and relatives; and plan sometimes to do suicide or to take revenge.
For example, a student of class eight wanted his classmates to obey him in every respect. He was
not a boy to be followed because of his poor performance in the examinations as well as having
low moral standard. When some students of his class do not like his activities in-and-outside the
school, he brought a pipe gun to threaten his classmates. From then, the act of verbal threatening
started which continued until they left school after SSC examinations.
Not only in schools, colleges or higher educational institutions, bullying is seen severely in
workplaces also. In a workplace, the newcomers or juniors can be the victim of bullying. The
probable reasons are to show others that they (bullies) are powerful and smarter. Sometimes the
reason for bullying is making fun with appearance such as physical deformity, complexion,
bulkiness, skinny body, voice, way of talking, vulgarism, names, parents’ criminal records, poor
performance, introvert personality, jealousy and so on.
To reduce the extent and frequency of bullying in educational institutions and other places,
communication and mutual understanding should be strengthened. Open communication is key
to building trust. When teachers employ an open communication policy in the classroom,
students will feel more open to talking to their teachers about their problems—including
bullying. Having classroom meetings and one-on-one conversations are a couple of effective
ways to build that communication.
Besides, classroom meetings provide a way for students to talk about school-related issues
beyond academics. These meetings can help teachers and parents stay informed about what is

going on at school and in the student’s life. A student who is being bullied might not feel
comfortable saying something in front of the whole class. That’s why, school authority should
create a positive environment so that a bullied can always feel free to speak with their teachers
one-on-one.
Moreover, schools need to use adequate reporting systems that are easy to use and confidential.
They need to encourage teachers and staff to report any incidents that occur. By this way, the
school can do a better job of protecting students and prevent bullying incidents that occur
frequently.