Retaliation is never the best way to address school bullying | Loh #286

School Bullying is something to be severely frowned at. Bullying is basically aggressive behaviour towards somebody especially when there's a power imbalance and it can be repetitive.

It's something that is common in schools. School bullying can take several forms. It can be physical where physical harm is inflicted on the victim.

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It could be verbal where the bully says hurtful and bad things to the victim. There's also an indirect version of this where the bully verbally spreads fake or terrible information about the victim. Then there's cyber bullying.

School bullying, no matter the form, is capable of leaving a lasting effect on the person being bullied. It can greatly diminish their self esteem, they can suffer physical injuries, and mental health could take a hit. Sometimes, they become suicidal. In fact, the child's academic performance could decline drastically because of the emotional and mental effect of bullying. This is why I think there should be a zero tolerance policy for bullying in schools.

If I had a child who is being bullied in school, I would want that child to have the courage and feel safe enough to report it to me. When they report to me, I would advise that child not to retaliate. Rather, the child should always have the courage to speak up, tell someone older, perhaps a teacher or a parent.

I know some people would advise their child to fight back, but that can lead to more violence. It can lead to something worse. It could escalate the entire situation. I believe that one shouldn't correct one wrong with more wrong.

I want to be the kind of parent whose child would be very free to tell anything, including when they are being bullied at school. I would build that courage in my kid to speak up always about bullying even if my child isn't the bully. Also, I would make sure that the bully faces consequences for such an act. This is to ensure that the child changes their ways so they don't take such behaviour to the larger society and because a menace both to themselves and the members of society.

I recommend that teachers should be well trained to spot and deal with cases of school bullying. The effect it can have on a kid can be very damaging even for the long term.

In summary, bullying can take different forms. How I handle a case of bullying is important. I'm not an advocate of retaliation when it comes to school bullying. It can cause more harm. The best option for me is always to speak out and report to someone.