Let me begin by first commending the Ministry of Education for addressing this issue in a forthright and upfront manner. Since the issuing of the press release by the Inner-City Teachers Coalition (ICTC), the minister has clarified the ministry’s stance on the policy of bullyism in schools. He has made it clear that the policy is an attempt to address all aspects of bullying.

I, nonetheless, feel compelled to address some of the misconceptions that have been floating around. The ICTC’s stance has always been and will continue to be that all aspects of bullyism demand equal attention, regardless of race, gender, religious belief or sexual orientation.

Of course bullying of boys who seem effeminate, or boys who may very well be gay, does take place. This must not be swept under the carpet. But equally so, the bullying of heterosexual students by groups of students that support a gay lifestyle does take place and is indeed very widespread in some of our schools. There are some schools in which students are afraid to use the bathroom for fear that they will be cornered by members of these groups. If the students resist the advances of members from the group they are oftentimes beaten and sometimes held down and sexually assaulted. In several of the schools that this takes place in, it is covered up for fear that it will damage the image of the school. The reports that are coming from some of the teachers in respect of this matter are enough to cause grave concern. Some of the very victims of attacks of this nature have become suicidal. These students are in equal need of protection.

But this is not the only form of bullying that takes place in our schools. There are still some schools in which Rastafarian students will have their turbans and headwear dragged off their heads and tossed to the ground and are taunted and bullied by other students. They too are in need of protection. So too is the little girl who, because of her medical condition and treatment, has gone bald and she is bullied and called all sorts of demeaning names. Who speaks for her?

Who speaks for the little boy who will get his lunch money taken away by bigger boys and, because he does not have a bigger relative in the school to defend him, is forced to go without lunch. What about the little girl who is cornered by bigger boys who intimidate and pressure her to the point where she is forced to perform sexual favours to that boy, who in turn brings his friends in on the act and video-tapes it? Who speaks for that little girl? The frank truth of the matter is that some aspects of bullying are criminal and must be treated as such.

Within the context of our education system, no one group can claim to have a monopoly on being the victims of bullying. I am therefore heartened by the fact that the anti-bullying policy of the Ministry of Education is framed in such a way that it attempts to address all aspects of bullyism in our schools.

However, the policy will amount to nothing if school administrators do not take the necessary and requisite measures to stamp out all aspects of bullying. It is simply not enough to have the policy. The implementation of the policy must be vigorously monitored, especially by those schools where bullyism is rampant.

The issue of bullying in our education system cuts to the heart of character education and development. We must instil in our students a set of core values of decency, honesty, integrity, volunteerism, and humanity. This character development and education must be built on the fundamental tenet that every man must be treated equally.

In much the same way that, as a society, we emphasise academic performance, we must also emphasise character development. The clubs and societies, especially the uniformed groups in the schools, must play a leading role in this. It should be mandatory that students spend no less than three years in a unformed group and at least two years in a club or society. They must have no less than 80 per cent attendance to the meetings. Students should do no less than 50 hours of voluntary service in order to qualify for graduation.

Finally, administrators must design and implement an intervention programme that will treat both the victims and the perpetrators of bullying. It’s important to correct the negative effects that the victims will experience. If this is not done negative effects will be experienced right up to adulthood and will create self-esteem and other psychological issues. It is also noteworthy to point out that research has shown that there is a direct correlation between the perpetrators of bullying in schools and those people who will have legal and criminal problems in adulthood.

Mark Malabver serves as head of the Social Sciences Department at Charlie Smith High School and chairman of the Inner-City Teachers Coalition. Send comments to the Observer or MarkMalabver@yahoo.com.