Protecting Nigerian Children From Schoolyard Bullying

“I was bullied by my classmate who is older than me,” said a student of an upscale private boarding secondary school in Ikeja, Lagos. The reason for his bullying was as flimsy as it was unconscionable.

“He said I did not call him when my parents came [during a visit day],” the student told Guardian TV. Despite insisting that he felt safe in the school, the student was well aware of what drives schoolyard bullies. “They feel like they can do anything and get away with it.”

His case saw one of the more positive endings to bullying episodes in Nigerian schools, where rampant intimidation and student-to-student physical assaults are underreported and mostly unpunished when they are. The bully faced a disciplinary committee and ceased intimidating others, the student said.

Some students have not been so lucky.

In 2021, the case of a secondary student, whose parents said died after being bullied, sparked a national outcry and fervent calls for definitive actions against school bullies.

After more than two years of inquest, a government-appointed coroner ruled in April that the student’s death could not have resulted from the alleged bullying incident. Still, that episode highlighted the need for more coordinated action points against the menace.

Less than a month after the coroner ruling, another viral video sparked a fresh round of national outcry. As it was in the case of the student who spoke to Guardian TV, the bullying happened at an upscale school. The clip showed a female student slapping another several times. The bullied student was later identified to be Namitra Bwala of Lead British School in Abuja.

The disturbing footage led to a temporary three-day closure of the school as authorities began an investigation into the case. Despite an apology from one of the identified bullies, Bwala, through her lawyers, demanded severe sanctions and sued the school. Her father also demanded that the school separate her from her bullies, who were in the same class.

‘Borderline tragic’

But bullying is not limited to highbrow private schools. What goes on in public secondary schools is borderline tragic, said a teacher in a government-owned junior secondary school at the cluster of schools around Eric Moore in Surulere, Lagos. The teacher, who preferred not to be named, told Guardian Life that, while bullying is “not too rampant” in her school, it often escalates into violent, sometimes fatal, street fights.

“When they have beef with one another, they resort to street fights,” the teacher said. “But most of these fights stem from their homes and neighbourhoods.”

Two students died in 2023 in street fights that spilled out onto the streets from their schools. “A student that finished [junior secondary school] in the 2021/2022 session and went to another senior school was killed in 2023,” the teacher told Guardian Life. “He was stabbed with a poisoned knife.” The teacher alleged a cover-up on the part of the state’s education authorities.

The street fights got so bad that an old couple who owned a house adjacent to one of the public schools had to sell their home because of “the fights and damages to their house all the time.”

A study published in December 2023 showed that bullying in Nigerian schools is widespread. About 51.9% of adolescent school students surveyed for the study said they had experienced at least one type of bullying. About 27.9% of the students interviewed for the study said they were bullies themselves. The study indicated that about 75% of bullying occurred on school premises, especially in classrooms, and that 58.3% of bullies were classmates.

The unpretty toll

The psychological toll of bullying on children is profound. Victims often experience a range of emotional and psychological issues, including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. According to psychologists, these effects can be long-lasting, extending well into adulthood and impacting an individual’s ability to form healthy relationships and pursue opportunities.

Seun Aina, a teacher at Laureates College and a member of the school’s disciplinary committee, explained that trauma from bullying can manifest in various ways.

“For those that have been a victim of bullying, some of them suffer from depression…some can even commit suicide,” Aina told Guardian TV.

Children who are bullied may become withdrawn, anxious, and exhibit signs of post-traumatic stress. Their academic performance often suffers as well, leading to a cycle of frustration and lowered self-worth. Moreover, the social impact of bullying can isolate victims from their peers, exacerbating feelings of loneliness and helplessness. This social isolation can make it even harder for them to seek help or support, trapping them in a cycle of abuse.

Aina also alleged that many victims of bullying keep quiet “because we are built in a way to withstand situations in Nigeria”.

Experts suggest that children who bully often do so as a result of their own unresolved traumas. They target peers they perceive as weaker to regain a sense of power and control. It could also be a way for them to exert control in environments where they feel powerless.

Additionally, societal factors play a significant role. In cultures where aggression and dominance are often rewarded, children may adopt bullying behaviours as a way to gain status or avoid becoming targets themselves.

An Associate Professor of Development and Clinical Psychology, Grace Idowu, told The Guardian that children often learn bullying at home. “Some parents are not aware that the type of environment they create at home goes a long way in shaping their child’s future. Children copy what they see their parents do. If a child grows up in a home where the father constantly bullies the mother, the child might grow up to become a bully.”

Addressing bullying

The teacher at the Eric Moore public school cluster is worried that the state government does not have a central policy to combat bullying. “But we have laws about how teachers can deal with students,” the teacher said. An official of the Ministry of Education, however, insisted the state has a “well-documented zero-tolerance for bullying”.

Still, addressing bullying in Nigerian schools requires a multifaceted approach involving parents, educators, and policymakers.

Parents are advised to maintain open lines of communication with their children and stay vigilant for signs of distress. Also, encourage them to speak up about any issues they face at school, and take their children’s concerns seriously.

Schools play an important role in preventing and addressing bullying. Hence, they must implement comprehensive anti-bullying policies, provide regular staff training, and create a supportive school environment.

Schools also need to establish clear protocols for reporting, identifying, and addressing bullying incidents promptly. This includes support systems for victims and appropriate consequences for perpetrators.

“The first thing we do is counsel the bully and the victim. If it persists, then the school will have to deal with the bully,” Aina said.

Furthermore, they need to promote a culture of empathy and respect within the school community. This will greatly reduce incidents of bullying. Schools are also advised to curate programmes that teach social-emotional skills and conflict resolution. This will enable students to handle disputes appropriately.

Children who are being bullied need to know how to seek help. They should also be encouraged to report bullying incidents to trusted adults, whether it’s their parents, teachers or school counsellors. Building resilience and self-confidence can further help them cope with bullying.

Schools could also establish support peer groups where students can safely share their experiences and help each other. Bullied students can feel empowered knowing they are not alone.

Aside from educational authorities, the government must also take proactive measures to address bullying. This includes developing national policies that mandate anti-bullying programmes in schools, providing resources to train educators, and ensuring strict enforcement of these policies.

They could also model after other countries with successful initiatives. Finland, for example, has an anti-bullying programme called KiVa which combines online tools with in-school activities to offer a wide range of tools and materials for schools to tackle bullying. This successful programme could be adapted to the Nigerian context.

We believe every child deserves the opportunity to live free from fear and intimidation. This Children’s Day, let’s stand as one community and pledge to ensure that no child has to suffer the pain and trauma of bullying.

*Some names have been redacted to protect the sources.