Against the backdrop of two separate incidents involving students at two different schools, I write this article as a concerned educator who truly cares about the teaching-learning environment. The two incidents occurred within one week of each other and were a social media sensation because of the rapid sharing, distribution, and discussions among other concerned individuals.

When the first incidence of violence occurred, I reflected to try to recall if I had ever seen this before — one student stomping on the head of another. I couldn’t find any such incident in my past. Questions flew around in my mind about why a child in school thought it was okay to repeatedly stomp on another person’s head. Where did this come from? How did we arrive here?

I didn’t have enough time to finish thinking and researching answers on the first incident before I saw a video clip of a woman in white being carried off a school campus. She broke loose from her escorts, turned around, and rushed back towards some students standing on the patio at what seemed to be the front of the school. The woman was in white, obviously an adult, and got what appeared to be a flurry of kicks and thumps by a swarm of students. I wondered what transpired before. I don’t even know if I care what precipitated this fracas. An adult should not be starting a fight with a child. This, along with many other school fights in the recent past, is an embarrassing moment for us as Jamaicans.

It was mind-boggling to me, so I set out to see what was on YouTube and what the news had reported about violence in schools over the past years. There are so many videos on YouTube (no surprise) that I didn’t need to go to TikTok. I also checked the print media archives. I went back as far as 2017. There were enough incidents in high schools to fill my eyes with tears. What is really happening in our country? Does anyone know?

Here are some of the headlines in the print media:

• ‘School violence epidemic’

• ‘Report being prepared on Kemps Hill High fight between student and dean of discipline’

• ‘Ministry takes the fight to school violence’

• ‘School fights on the rise, concerns have surfaced again’

• ‘Violence in schools’

• ‘Two students injured in a gang fight at Tarrant High’

• ’16 students suspended after brawl at Meadowbrook High; fight reportedly caused by love triangle’

These headlines are just a drop in the bucket.

There are various reasons for these fights; however, what we do know is that one thing leads to another.

Bullying

As early as age two some children may display bullying tendencies. If nothing is done to curb the behaviour, it grows like a quiet monster and then explodes later as misconduct and criminal activities, and then we wonder: How come crime suh high?

There is an undercurrent of anger burning in our Jamaican society. Many citizens grow up with angry parents who don’t recognise that their way of resolving minor problems and conflicts is with anger. Fighting and quarrelling is a natural part of our existence, so our children, who are raised in rage-filled environments, grow up and do the same: resolve disputes with violence.

We should resolve to quell these monsters inside from early childhood. Our education system has failed to provide the support needed between zero and five-and-a-half years to channel any negative energy into positive habits; therefore, those monsters inside our children are left unchecked, untouched, and unresolved. Then booyah!

Some adults now realise that they have grown up with a bully mentality, and many bring the monster into marriage and relationships. A UNICEF study suggests that nine out of 10 Jamaicans face bullies in primary and high school. Bullies are strongest when they identify someone weaker on which to prey. So a grade 11 boy picks on a grade eight boy because the eighth grader knows he is bigger and stronger. When that grade eight boy gets to 11th grade, what will he do? Become a bully also? And so the cycle perpetuates.

This deep-seated anger is played out daily as you walk down the streets and listen to the volume of expletives launched from one person to another, sometimes even to themselves. Anger leads to never-ending quarrels. If the dispute appears to have ended, it is troubling. This is likely only “the calm before the storm”. Someone is about to get hurt by a knife, a gun, or anything that can be used as a weapon.

How often do we see video clips of mothers using machetes to slap their adult daughters or sons? We often see clips of teachers being physically or verbally confronted by students, parents, or both. Bullying also causes anger to the bullied, which can lead to crime. It is a problem that needs to be addressed.

A 2012 ABC News study suggested that those with mental health disorders during childhood are three times more likely to become bullies. The study also showed that mental disorders plague many adults bullied as children. Based on the findings of this study one could surmise that many Jamaicans are walking around with mental illness.

Bullying is eating away at the fabric of our social infrastructure, education system, and peaceful living. It is a ridiculous image, but how often do we see clips of community members resisting arrest by becoming excessively violent with a police officer who has a weapon in hand? These are not normal times, but it’s an excellent opportunity to insert a common phrase: “Jamaica is not a real place.”

This anger illness shows up in many ways. I recall a couple years ago I couldn’t avoid the image of a man on video kicking, punching, and using a chair to beat a woman mercilessly. It was all over the internet and news reports. The woman, who appeared quite helpless to the man’s strength, stood there and took the beating. Such an image was typical throughout the community in which I was raised: big, muscular men physically abusing women. These tyrants knew who to pick on — women who could not or would not fight back.

Going back to the second of the aforementioned fights which recently occurred, I ask: What would cause a female adult to try to escape her escorts and head back to the school campus to a fight a student? The answer is bullying; mental illness; and deep, burning anger. The typical response would be to say she got what she deserved — mob justice; however, that is not the proper thought to inculcate. This should never have happened. All the girls involved need anger management. No matter how it looks, our culture/country has a deep-rooted problem that can be a causal factor in crime. That problem needs intervention. Anger and bullying are taught to our children at an early age. Without proper intervention, things can get worse.

The grade 11 student who is said to have stomped the head of the younger grade 8 boy seems to have a bullying problem that was never resolved. Bullies pick on people who fear them or will not or can’t fight back. If that eighth grader were a 10th grader of the same or bigger build, the aggressor would not have made a fuss. He would have brushed it off, sucked it up, and walked away. The eighth grader is the new kid on the block and was a perfect prey.

This child will need the type of intervention that the police are not able to give. He will now become a victim of the same system that taught him extreme anger. He has been fraught with anger all his life; it is around him, and he lives in it. The question is: Who is to be blamed? Parents? Government? Child? School system? I hope he gets proper treatment.

Last year, I noted one of our ministers alluded to a programme to help prevent crime in schools. He used the term restorative justice (RJ). The phrase was misused. RJ is employed by the court after an offence to resolve the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator. It is not a preventative measure. It is a strategy used as a sentencing tool.

I believe the minister meant restorative practices (RP), a method to help prevent crime and disorder. RP should be introduced in schools. Teachers, pastors, parents, community leaders, and education practitioners can be taught the principles of RP from as early as the pre-primary years to prevent aggressive and violent behaviour. The results are difficult to quantify, but our society will look different 10 to 20 years from now with a rigorous deployment of RP.

Implementing RP is an intentional practice that requires widespread application and acceptance. It must be more than just a policy that is spoken of and then shelved. Once the policy is released, it must be accompanied by financial and human resources — experts and other personnel who can help make it successful. It requires complete buy-in from teachers, parents, pastors, and community leaders. It is possible. Our leaders must buy in and help to make it a success from the ground up.

Some necessary RP skills are active listening, being non-judgemental, being accountable for our actions; involving everyone in creating and implementing solutions; peaceful conflict resolution; and so much more.

Bullying, anger, and crime are major issues in our country. They need attention, not talk. We need to address anger with emotional support and RP. If properly adopted and implemented, we could see increased cognitive development in schools and reduced misconduct and disorder.

Leo Gilling is the chairman of the Jamaica Diaspora Taskforce Action Network and a diaspora strategist and engagement advocate. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or leogilling@gmail.com.