According to Childline South Africa, bullies are found in most schools, even in the most disciplined and positive schools. Bullying has led to children committing suicide and dropping out of school due to the stress of being bullied.
The question is, what exactly does bullying entail? What are the statistics in SA?
According to an article published on Health24, bullying can take many forms. Common examples include, among other, physical bullying such punching, poking, beating, hair-pulling and so forth. Verbal bullying includes acts such as hurtful name-calling, gossiping, racist remarks and teasing. Defaming, humiliating, blackmailing and peer pressure falls under emotional bullying. Another example is sexual bullying which includes acts like sexual harassment and abuse involving physical contact and sexual assault. Lastly is cyberbullying which entails the use of internet and related technologies to harm others.
A study that was conducted in 2002 already showed shocking results. 60,9% of the 207 study participants in Gauteng reported that they were victims of bullies during the school year. A more recent study that was conducted among several countries showed that the greatest intensity, those saying they know children in their community experiencing cyberbullying on a regular basis, is in SA: One in ten people indicated that they know children who are regularly bullied via information technology.
Even though school and big, bad boys come to mind when you hear the word “bully,” it is important to remember that cyberbullying is also becoming a big phenomena. Almost every teenager has a cell phone or access to the internet. Nevertheless, any form of bullying is inacceptable and more attention needs to be given to this form of “crime” that exists in schools.
