Bullies and their victims

A 16-year-old boy committed suicide in Northern Italy a few days ago, a terrible conclusion to a process of bullying. Mercifully, such outcomes are rare. The damage caused by school bullies is not so rare. Repeated oppression, psychological or physical, of a less powerful student by a more powerful one - a basic definition of bullying - goes on in most schools all over the world.

Schools in Malta are by no means immune to it. One of the studies by our leading expert in the area, Mark Borg, based on a sample of over 6,000 primary and secondary schoolchildren, suggested that one in three were involved in bullying, either as a victim, or a perpetrator.

Anecdotal evidence indicates that, no matter how good and well run a school may be, students are not safe from bullying, whether in public or private schools. Research in Malta and abroad identifies that bullying tends to occur especially at times when adult supervision and surveillance is minimal.

The less extreme outcome of bullying is evident in victims who are or become unpopular, lonely, rejected, anxious, depressed, unwilling to retaliate and lacking in self-esteem. The outcome might not become immediately apparent to carers, teachers and parents. Detection is of paramount importance, lest victims of bullying deteriorate to a dangerous point.

Detection is usually followed by efforts at corrective measures, mostly through counselling. This usually aims to enhance the social and friendship skills of the victim. School administrators try to improve adult supervision and also to engender what is known as a "whole school" environment.

Identification of those doing the bullying can lead to action in their regard, though one finds parents who suggest that some schools are less inclined than others to bring known bullies to account. From every aspect, prevention is better than cure.

It has to take place within the schools themselves, yet, it is also incumbent on parents not to neglect their role. Parents of victims have to work hand in hand with school counsellors to give the best effect to rehabilitation programmes, and to boost their offspring's' self-esteem.

Parents of perpetrators of bullying have a task to do which is no less challenging. Some foolish mums and dads smile with smug satisfaction because their children do unto others what they would not want to be done unto them. Should such parents work through the known implications of bullying, they might be far less pleased with themselves. Studies abroad have shown that there is some continuity between bullying and violent crime.

There can be other less dramatic consequences - those who bully in their young age tend to carry the bad trait with them into adolescence and adulthood, where they would find it less easy to oppress others and could discover their attitude and behaviour boomeranging on them.

From all aspects, bullying is not an individual problem of victims and perpetrators alike. It is a social problem that requires ongoing attention, as the terrible case in northern Italy reminded one and all.

It would be interesting to have an update of the research carried out in Malta by Prof. Borg and others to try to determine the extent, nature and causes of bullying in our schools, both in state and in the non-state sectors.

Given the mix of students in government, Church and independent schools, and the changing attitudes and values in our society, new research could throw up a few unpleasant surprises.