QUITE apart from gangs in schools, societies across the globe are also witnessing a general increase in violence among young people and the growth of cyberbullying.
The latter is a relatively recent phenomenon resulting from the ‘birth’ of the information highway we call the internet and the tremendous influence it exerts over our youth.
While hosting an Anti-Violence and Anti-bullying Conference two months ago, Minister of Education, Sonia Parag, posed several questions about youth violence — where it originates, whether in schools or ‘behavioural patterns’ in the home and what measures can be taken to stop it
She gave assurances that the Education Ministry has acknowledged this as an issue and was not “pushing it under the rug,” also asserting that expelling, suspending or transferring a child is not the solution.
Her stance is supported by experts who call for more creative mechanisms to deal with the matter, such as life skills and development programmes and lessons in anger management.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that youth violence requires a comprehensive approach involving schools, parents and the wider community — a strategy the ministry recommends. However, the WHO also recognises a “strong correlation between rates of youth violence and economic inequalities.”
The point is made that impoverished sections of society are more prone to high rates of youth violence, because young people become frustrated and experience the kind of despair that finds an outlet in violence.
The organisation urges governments to address economic disparities, stating that, “To achieve sustainable prevention gains, it is important to address income inequality, increase economic mobility and enhance access to education, social protection and employment opportunities.”
Last month, President Irfaan Ali in a speech referred to another troubling issue, which has been gaining momentum since the advent of the “digital age.”
It seems that traditional, physical bullying has been eclipsed by cyberbullying. Young people are now using various apps on their cellphones or other digital devices to post threatening or hurtful messages to those they dislike.
With cellphones in the hands of youths everywhere, it has become easy to hide behind the anonymity these devices offer, avoiding face-to-face contact. Cyberbullying eliminates the physical aspect of torment, making it a powerful weapon of emotional and psychological damage, which is often more devastating than physical injury.
It can also be relentless in a way that physical violence cannot achieve, happening at any time, anywhere, with little or no restriction on its frequency. The objective is generally to scare or shame the person targeted and may not only be verbal, but can take the form of embarrassing photos or videos.
This form of online bullying can make persons feel unsafe in their own homes, humiliated and unable to escape the torment. It can cause long-lasting psychological damage, as well as physical illness through loss of sleep or appetite, headaches and even stomach aches.
The feeling of being laughed at by others can be overwhelming, preventing those targeted from speaking out for fear of attracting unwelcome attention and increased bullying. In extreme cases, it can lead to withdrawal from friends and family and can result in suicide.
Sometimes online bullying may be hard to detect, as the perpetrator may want to pass it off as a joke and not to be taken seriously. However, if the words seem to be harmful rather than humorous and the person persists, then action should be taken to stop it.
As with other forms of bullying, the first step to ending cyberbullying is to discuss it with parents, a teacher, a counsellor or other responsible adult.
Everything should be documented, screenshots taken where possible as evidence and the tools available on the platform used to block and report offenders.
Engaging with an online bully, just as with a physical bully, can only make things worse, but cyberbullying leaves a digital footprint, which is a record that can provide evidence and help to stop the abuse.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.
