Marshall-Harris calls for action on bullying

A child rights advocate has warned parents who believe their children are being bullied at school not to take matters into their own hands, even as she called for urgent action to address bullying and fighting among students. United Nations (UN)child rights expert and child rights advocate Faith Marshall-Harris told Barbados TODAY that her charitable trust’s helpline had been receiving increasing reports of bullying and violence, with many parents expressing concern about the frequency of confrontations among children. Many of the complaints, she said, involve first-form students who are allegedly being targeted by older pupils and pressured to hand over lunch items or pocket money. Marshall-Harris said some parents had become frustrated by what they perceived as an inadequate response to the problem and were contemplating direct intervention. “They want to take matters into their own hands, and I am begging them not to do so, to try to use the process that the school has in place about the bullying,” she said, “and making sure that they can get the matters settled without resorting to violence themselves or abusive behaviour.” She advised parents who remain dissatisfied after engaging school authorities to escalate their concerns to the Ministry of Education. The child rights advocate also stressed that young people often mirror the conduct and language they see adults display. “The behaviour that they’re modelling in the presence of children,” she said, “can only cause a situation where the climate of violence and abusive behaviour will continue.” While acknowledging that bullying has long existed in schools, Marshall-Harris said the issue required immediate attention and a concerted effort to reduce violence among students. She added that adults must be careful not to inflame already tense situations through their own actions. “Two wrongs will not make a right, and therefore the adults have got to ensure that they do not cause an escalation of the problem,” she said. Marshall-Harris encouraged parents and children seeking assistance to contact her charitable trust’s helpline where support is available from a social worker. The numbers are 266-3644 and 832-3644. (LG)