By Fortune Eromosele

In its reaction to a video of a young girl bullied at Lead British School in Abuja, a civil society organization, Invictus Africa, has said schools must design and implement effective policies that include severe consequences for bullies to serve as a deterrent to others.

Invictus Africa in a statement by its Executive Director, Bukky Shonibare, further called on parents to ensure proper training of their children and also urged potential victims to speak out when bullied.

The statement read: “Yesterday, we came across distressing videos of a young girl, a student at Lead British School in Abuja being bullied by her schoolmate. The videos revealed the bully physically assaulting her victim who remained quiet throughout the painful ordeal.

“While we applaud the restraint demonstrated by the victim, we strongly state that no one should endure bullying, whether at the hands of their peers or adults.

“Unfortunately, additional disturbing videos of bullying within the Lead British School, Abuja have surfaced online, which shows that this must have been a culture in the school.

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“Bullying, as a form of school-based violence, poses a significant threat to the safe and inclusive learning environment that educational institutions should be known for, and such behavior is unacceptable!

“Bullying can have profound short and long-term effects on victims such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, and tragically, it has also led to suicide in many cases.

“Beyond speaking out against bullying every time it occurs, duty bearers must take serious measures to effectively prevent and respond to bullying.

“Schools must design and implement effective policies that include severe consequences for bullies to serve as a deterrent to others.

“School administrators have the mandate to ensure that students have a positive and friendly learning environment, and no one should be a threat to that.

“As the saying goes, ‘Charity begins at home’ parents must understand that the task of instilling moral values in their kids starts with them and cannot be left solely in the hands of educators.

“They need to teach their wards to be kind, compassionate, honest, and above all, show empathy towards others.

“Additionally, children must also be empowered to stand up for themselves and speak out when they are being bullied.

“The Nigerian Government must prioritize finding a lasting solution to the issue of bullying in schools. While the temporary closure of Lead British School, Abuja is commendable, it is not enough to comprehensively address the matter.

“All hands must be on deck in creating safe and inclusive environments in schools, where every student feels valued, respected, and protected from all forms of school-based violence.”