Reparative reform.

I recently saw a video clip of a student being brutally abused and beaten up by three other students for allegedly refusing to drink alcohol. In the video, the three female classmates sit on her face and body, hurling abuse and hitting her while laughing. A male voice is heard cheering on this horrendous act while he records this act of bullying. An FIR was lodged against the girls, but the local court has approved pre-arrest bail for the three girls.

Many shocking elements in this incident were disturbing. Firstly, despite knowing that youngsters commonly consume drugs and alcohol, it still makes me uneasy and concerned. Secondly, a female is culturally and inherently symbolised as gentle and nurturing and seeing them inflict such violence deeply disturbed me. Thirdly, I understand the power of emotions, predominantly anger and rage, that can drive people to commit regrettable acts, but the humour these girls found in doing this chilled me to my bones. The cold pathological way this act was committed with the element of exhibiting it and recording it with witnesses present qualifies it to another level of viciousness beyond simple bullying. This was cold and calculated, and the face of one of the girls, with the smile on her face, is unnerving as it pops up in my memory now and then.

It's a terrible thing that has happened. I can imagine that countlessly such incidents are happening around in schools and colleges; not recorded, not reported, and unnoticed. Perhaps the fact that it was recorded is a good thing, as awareness about such incidents is one aspect of many that hold the key to changing the culture of bullying. It cannot be eradicated because I believe the capacity for violence and persecution exists in all of us. Some of us get lucky that we are raised in ways that nullify our persecutory potential. The incident is history and now comes the crucial part. How to deal with these young girls and help the victims of this act?

Unfortunately, in the times of the social media boom, where the advantage is that in a country like Pakistan, where the justice system is unjust, social media fills in the shoes by creating enough noise for some accountability to get activated. Of course, it comes with a caveat where the victims get no privacy and get...