I would like to applaud the authority for addressing the growing concerns over bullying in school, as detailed in the news article, ‘BEST to tackle bullying’, published in the Bulletin yesterday.
Bullying has always been amongst us, but since the advent of social media, it has become more rampant and borderless. As devastating as ‘real life’ bullying is, as it has the potential of escalating to physical harm, the cyber version is more subtle and persistent.
It is more difficult for those in their late 40s and older to understand cyberbullying because they had gone through adolescence without Internet.
I have heard well-meaning advice such as, “Just don’t use social media anymore. Problem solved.” But it is often harder than it seems. I have friends who “must” post on social media at least once a day for the fear of being “forgotten” by others.
So I’m glad to see authorities take on the challenge of addressing the issue by teaching schoolchildren to empathise and providing coping mechanisms for those being bullied.
Social Resident
