Editorial: Create Culture Of Respect, Not Bullying

A post on social media shows a child no more than a Year 3 with his school shirt unbuttoned and clearly in a state of shock.

This is but one story. We know that many more children are constantly faced with physical and online bullying daily.

How they can put on a straight face to their families and go to school the next day only to be faced with the same trauma a day before is certainly brave of them.

On the other hand, brave doesn’t always mean having thick skin and living through the day just as daunting as it was the day before.

It means you speak up and call out those who are responsible in the hope that by raising awareness, you are building a culture of respect for one another.

And we must tell our children and those whom we are responsible for to do the same.

If we’re to have the perpetrators get away with it, unintentionally, we begin to build a wall of silence and tolerance for this kind of unjust behaviour.

No children should have to face what this boy went through.

It’s commendable that his school took the time to visit the boy’s home to find out the situation but it needs to do more than that.

During school assemblies, faculty meetings, anywhere possible, denounce bullying and set out strict rules and guidelines and awareness around it.

Let’s teach our children and loved ones to be kind today and everyday.

Feedback: ranobab@fijisun.com.fj