Stopping bullies.

A couple of days back, a video became viral on social media where a girl in Lahore's private school is being subjected to vicious physical and verbal bullying by her classmates. To make matters even worse, the perpetrators are recording the whole scene and there isn't a shade of remorse on their faces with not a single individual trying to help the poor girl indiAcating a visible social decadence in our society. As expectAed, the incident received outrage on social media and is being condemned across the board, and rightly so. BullyAing in educational institutions is one of the most reported events globally as well in Pakistan. No school nor any uniAversity is free from this curse. According to a World Health Organisation (WHO), study in 2012, between 15 to 35 people ended their lives in Pakistan every day with the suicide rate beAing 7.5 per 100,000 people. In simple words, approximately 13,000 people took their lives that year. Hence, there may be an estimated 140 000-300 000 acts of self-harm in Pakistan annually. In 2016, the estimate was 2.9 per 100,000 i.e., over 5,500 ended their lives. Experts say the number of people dying is likely somewhere beAtween the two figures, but the truth remains hidden.

Bullying can lead to emotional distress, and self-harm, and in many cases has apparently led to suicide. It can also put a young person at higher risk for depression, anxiety, and lower academAic achievement. In recent years, cyberbullying has received inAcreased attention, as electronic devices have become more comAmon. Bullying through electronic means, although prevalent, ranks third after verbal bullying and physical bullying. In generAal, bullying is a common type of social experience that children reAfer to as 'getting picked on.' Most bullying, including being insultAed, threatened or excluded from activities, still happens in person.

Among students who reported being bullied, said they were tarAgeted in a classroom or were victimized in a hallway or stairwell. Students reported being bullied in more than one location. We as a society tend to overlook these issues since we don't realise the impact bullying has on the victim, and how long the impact could last. Schools could play an influential role by coming up with stratAegies to prevent bullying of any sort. If schools are not taking preAcautionary measures to mitigate or reduce the reoccurrence of such events, then that's neither good nor enough school. Not just schools...