Bullying awareness talks kick off at Keetmanshoop schools

Youth Activist, Queen Pieter has discouraged learners from bullying one another, citing bullying robs the community of many pupils that ought to be productive but are lost to suicide and not having the self-esteem to achieve their dreams.

Speaking here on Friday during a bullying awareness talk at PK de Villiers Secondary School, Pieter said that learners should create safe places for others at schools because some learners come from homes where domestic violence prevails and schools are supposed to be places to feel safe at and not to be bullied.

“These learners have so much already happening in their lives and now you as a bully you are picking on them, so that builds a lot of emotions in them. It starts with you deciding that you are not to pick on someone that is not your size, let us choose kindness, let us choose to save a life, you do not want to be responsible for someone giving up on life. We should also stop bullying our teachers, we all have roles to play to stop bullying and we have the responsibility too to stop it,” she said.

Also speaking at the event, Pastor Zezito Epifanio from a local church while urging learners and teachers to stop any form of bullying at school and beyond, said the damage done to those bullied does not end at school but in most cases continue into one’s adulthood.

“Bullying does not happen between learners only but teachers also bully learners, and this affects our children badly, someone that was supposed to be a president, a doctor or a productive citizen – if bullied that person can turn into an unproductive citizen because they feel they are worthless. All forms of abuse follows a pattern that if unchecked will only increase over time, break the cycle of bullying today, it starts with you,” he stressed.

Speaking to this news agency Lapakasheya Shapaka an AS level learner who experienced bullying herself implored victims of bullying to stand strong, pray about it and speak up citing that it is important to communicate.

“From my own experience of bullying I was not aware that I was being bullied until I had a sit down with my life skills teacher after attempting to take my own life, it was only then that I realised that it was bullying that led to the build-up of the negative emotions that made me want to take my own life,” she said.

“I myself I was a bully, at first, I didn’t know that I was bullying my friends and all that, we really need to be aware of how bullying occurs for us to recognise because if we do not it will be too late when someone else takes their own life because of what you have said or done,” said Rauha Shikwaya, the deputy head girl at the school.

Similar talks are expected to take place at other schools.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency