Published 5 November 2021
Basseterre
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
COUNSELOR JACOBS ADDRESSES THE IMPACT OF BULLLYING
Basseterre: St. Kitts, Thursday, November 04, 2021: Bullying in schools is a global issue that not only disrupts the teaching and learning environment but can also affect the mental health of students.
Shedding light on the impact of bullying on the victim’s mental health, Ms. Zahra Jacobs, Counselor and Secretary at the St. Kitts Mental Health Association explained.
“Bullying puts our social life into a lot of distress as well as our emotional life. Typically, when children and adults are being bullied, some things we see when it comes to mental health are increased sadness and worrying, so people are beginning to stress about how people are perceiving them, how they are going to act when they [victims] do certain things, so they become very conscious about everything about them,” she stated.
Ms. Jacobs further noted that a child who is being bullied is more likely to suffer from chronic absenteeism from school, perform poorly academically, lose interest in things they usually enjoy and most importantly display signs of a very low self-esteem.
“Self-esteem is also a big thing that gets impacted by bullying. When you’re questioning yourself and how you present yourself, it can be very difficult for you [victim of bullying] to feel as though you are worthy,” she said.
Parents were encouraged to pay special attention to bullying and not to simply regard it as phase their child will eventually grow out of because the trauma associated with bullying lasts a long time. Ms. Jacobs further advised parents to report the incidents of bullying to an authority.
“For parents when your children are talking to you about things that are happening to them, take them seriously. It’s worthy of investigation; talk to them about their options, maybe even role play different ways they can deal with it and try take it to an authority. There are guidance counselors, teachers, school management team- they’re all there to help you support your children in getting the education that they need,” expressed Ms. Jacobs.
International Day against Violence and Bullying at School including Cyberbullying is celebrated annually on the first Thursday in November with the aim of bringing awareness to the dilemma of online violence and cyberbullying, the consequences and the ways to mitigate the issue.
