Dear Editor,
Recently a troubling situation of bullying in schools came to the fore. There was a call for all of us to desist from bullying manifested almost everywhere.
This sickness, this human weakness, is not new, it has been an evil, perhaps more a curse, that has characterised the human species who we claim are the highest group in the animal kingdom. Bullying manifest itself in many ways and constitutes an attitude which over time becomes a habit. A habit that often times begin within the family household, elder sibling dictating, directing, and bullying the younger ones.
If we are serious, to tackle this problem, I suggest we employ the wisdom contained in the old English proverb “example is better than precept”. My experience over the years, and as recent as a few days ago, bullies and wrong-doers when disciplined simply regard it that they are punished or being bullied by a bigger and stronger bully. Maybe necessary as an interim measure, but certainly not the answer, punishment in other words is pushing a band-aid on a festering sore. The state, social, and religious organisations must be in the fore-front for change.
Let us continue the conversation, for they say hope springs eternal in the human breast.