Intimidation and bullying in Nigerian secondary schools, Effects it has in the Nigerian society

In a child’s life school is one of the safest places to be apart from their homes
every growing child needs education (primary, secondary and tertiary institutions) so they could fit into the society and keep up with the continues struggle for survival.

Bullying, definition

Keashly and Nueman (2010) defined bullying as harassing, offending, excluding someone or negatively affecting someone’s work tasks. He continued by saying that bullying has to occur repeatedly and regularly and over a period of time.
Bullying can be so physical to the point of causing serious injuries or even death

Above is the pictures of a student stabbed in the eye by another student

Secondary school bullying

Secondary education is divided into two based on the 6-3-3-4 system in Nigeria the junior secondary and senior secondary school a student is to spend three years in each of the mentioned.
For as long as possible there have been traits of intimidation in Nigerian secondary schools it could be between students of the same class or between students of different classes or even among teachers and pupils at most cases it’s a senior student maltreating a junior student.

popular bullying cases

1. Verbal threats and mockery
2. Physical contact (fighting or shoving)
3. Sneering or cruel gestures
4. Molestation
5. Prolonged and inappropriate punishment by senior students
6. Unhealthy preferences
   In this post I would focus on intimidation and bullying among senior secondary students and junior secondary students
   In almost every secondary school in Nigeria not just the school’s disciplinary committee, teachers, patrons/matrons, hostel masters and mistresses and any other staff enforces rules and regulation. At a senior secondary level mostly from SS2(senior secondary class two) students who were found qualified are assigned a post.

Popular posts in secondary schools

1. Sanitary prefect (ensures thorough sanitation practices among students)
2. Labor prefect (coordinates manual labor exercises)
3. Refectory prefect (ensures proper dinning manners among students)
4. Library prefect (assists the librarian)
5. Regulator (alerts students on every event)
6. Sports prefect (coordinates sporting activities and games) etc.
   At this level senior students utilizes the authority given to them to inflict their own laws on junior students or use the law wrongly to punish fellow students, for example students are to return to their hostel soon enough for lunch but right before the Regulator rings the bell for dismissal some senior students are in place to wipe their juniors for being late already, standing in lines about 3 meters apart to ensure that the junior students keeps running non-stop until they get to their hostels causing stampede.
   Junior students at most times live in fear of being intimidated at times they are giving chores to do like sweeping, washing or filling up water kegs, this doesn’t sound bullish but when you don’t have a choice other than doing them makes it intimidation. In some cases, the junior once are told to get stuffs like snacks toiletries or stationaries without being funded, once again you have no choice
   A funny example of intimidation is being punished for not having waves on their hair
   
   It's worse in Boarding schools because students leave their homes to boarding houses not seeing their parents/guardians for over three months so parents/guardians don't get day to day feedback from their kids.

What are the effects of bullying to the Nigerian society?

These kids that get involved in these practices most times causes nuisance in the society. Some of them grow up to exhibit deviant behaviors such as sexual harassment, gang attacks, racial abuse, discrimination and so on.
On the part of the victim a child can suffer depression some turn out to be suicidal and it’s likely that a bullied child would not develop to his/her full potential because of lack of concentration to school activities.

Are there traits of positive effects?

Seriously! There shouldn’t be any but in an awkward way it has a positive effect in the Nigerian society good students are known for keeping up to rules and regulations they do that most times in other to prevent punishment. A scared junior student can do everything possible to prevent being punished or bullied, and also they give maximum respect to senior students and that keeps them away from being targeted. Now these turn into habits and they grow with them and find it easy in respecting their elder ones.
Also in secondary schools the concept of having a school father or school mother which applies in so many secondary school environment gives senior students the responsibility of taking care of junior students and protecting them from their fellow senior student having such sense of responsibility at that age help them grow into responsible people.

THE END

References:

Keashly and Nueman (2010)

Thanks for reading.
Send your comments below