Expert bats for anti-bullying advocacy in campuses

School administrators should be on the lookout for bullying in their campus.

Dr. Glenda Basubas, chairperson of the Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA) Cebu chapter is suggesting the integration of anti-bullying advocacy in the school curriculum.

“Parents should be involved in the act of preventing bullying in the school. It should be introduced in the first Parents Teachers Association (PTA) gathering,” Basubas said.

Bullying should not be taken lightly as it affects the growth of children.

Bullying she said results in a child’s low self-esteem.

A child who has low self-esteem due to bullying will have depression and anxiety disorders that may lead to psychosomatic illnesses.

If left unattended, it could result in a child’s self injury and even suicide.

Parents should closely monitor their children to know if their child is a victim of bullying or a bully.

A parent should be sympathetic to his child but should never encourage his child to retaliate when he is bullied.

Meanwhile, like the parent of a bullied child, the parent of a bully child should also listen to the child. Ask why the child is doing such nasty things to his classmate and should tell the child the consequences of being a bully.

A parent of a bully child should never cover or defend the child’s faults.

School administrators should be very adept in dealing with bullying.

It is the school’s responsibility to stand as a mediator between the bully and the bullied, and reconcile them.

Basubas said that boys are more bullied physically. Girls however are prone to cyberbullying.

Bullying is most prevalent in 10 to 16 years old age range or in the late elementary to high school.

Type of bullies

According to Basubas, bullies usually pick on others as a way of dealing with their own problems.

“Bullies pick on others because they need a victim, someone who seems emotionally or physically weaker,” she said.

“Bullies need help because of what’s happening at home.

Basubas said that bullies are not always aggressive. Bullies can be anxious, aggressive, reactive and passive.

An anxious bully is being maltreated or is bullied at home, that is why they displace their anger towards their classmates.  They have low self-esteem.

Meanwhile, an aggressive bully has high self-esteem, they are good-looking that is why people tend to idolize them.

They are psychologically strong and very popular among their peers and they manipulate others. They are often athletes and have excellent social skills.

A reactive bully is a child who is a victim of bullying but in the later part would retaliate and eventually would become a bully himself.

Passive bullies are those who are into gangs. They usually love to form a group and would do group bully. /Christine Emily L. Pantaleon, Correspondent