Bullying in Our Schools

Oct 16, 2026 Letters

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Dear Editor,

As Chairman of Mindful Guyana Inc., I wish to express grave concern about the harmful effects of bullying in our schools and communities. Bullying is neither harmless childhood mischief nor an inevitable part of growing up. It can undermine a child’s confidence, damage emotional well-being, disrupt education and, in tragic circumstances, contribute to devastating consequences for children and their families.

What kind of society are we building when children who attend school to learn and develop are instead forced to live in fear of their peers?

Bullying takes many forms, including physical assault, threats, intimidation, humiliation, deliberate exclusion and discriminatory insults. Cyberbullying extends this abuse beyond the school compound, allowing humiliation to follow children home through WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok and other platforms. A child mocked because of their appearance, disability, academic performance or family circumstances may suffer silently. A student whose belongings are destroyed or whose assault is recorded and circulated for amusement may experience lasting distress. What some regard as a joke can be deeply damaging to another. Bullying is not simply a disagreement between children. It often involves repeated aggression and an imbalance of power. It must never be excused because the perpetrators are young.

Persistent bullying can contribute to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, social withdrawal and fear of attending school. A once enthusiastic student may begin missing classes, withdrawing from activities or experiencing declining academic performance. The consequences can extend into adulthood, affecting relationships, confidence and emotional well-being. Families suffer too, while school communities become increasingly divided by fear and mistrust. The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Education, has taken steps to address bullying and school violence. The Anti-Bullying Reporting System provides a channel for reporting incidents, while nationwide consultations on a proposed Anti-Bullying and Anti-Violence Policy have helped identify necessary interventions. Moral and Civic Education also offers opportunities to promote empathy, respect and responsibility.

These initiatives deserve recognition. However, policies, consultations and reporting platforms must translate into effective protection. Every school needs clear procedures for investigating complaints, supporting victims, disciplining offenders and preventing retaliation. The Ministry should establish implementation timelines, monitor compliance across all ten administrative regions and publish anonymised information on reported cases, response times and outcomes.

Reporting must lead to action. Children and parents need confidence that complaints will be addressed promptly and fairly. Accessible offline reporting options must be available, and families should have a clear route to escalate complaints when schools fail to respond. Adequate counselling services, trained safeguarding personnel, effective supervision and regular teacher training are equally essential. Schools must be held accountable for persistent failures to protect students. Parents, teachers and communities also share responsibility. Parents must teach kindness, respect and accountability, listen to their children and take complaints seriously. Teachers and school administrators must recognise warning signs and intervene promptly. Telling victims to toughen up, ignore bullies or fight back is inadequate and potentially dangerous. Children who bully must face appropriate consequences alongside interventions to change their behaviour.

Mindful Guyana Inc. proposes a National School Bullying Prevention and Child Support Network, coordinated by the Ministry of Education and linked to families, counsellors, child-protection services and community organisations. Every school should have a designated safeguarding officer, multiple confidential reporting channels, clear investigation procedures and individual safety plans for affected children. Regular student-well-being surveys and an independent escalation mechanism should help identify problems and ensure accountability. The Ministry’s existing reporting system could provide the foundation for this network.

Mindful Guyana Inc. is also making efforts to establish Mindful Guyana Clubs in schools. These clubs can promote mindfulness, empathy, emotional regulation, respectful communication and peaceful conflict resolution. Through guided activities, students can develop positive relationships, resist peer pressure and recognise when classmates need help. The clubs could also reinforce Moral and Civic Education and address discrimination, anger management and responsible social media use.

Mindfulness, however, cannot replace discipline, counselling or child protection. Victims must never be expected simply to manage their emotions while abuse continues. We therefore encourage the Ministry and interested schools to partner with Mindful Guyana Inc. to pilot these clubs, with trained adult supervision, clear referral procedures and measurable outcomes. Nelson Mandela famously observed, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Education must build character as well as knowledge. We cannot teach respect while tolerating humiliation or promote compassion while ignoring suffering.

Our children are not merely Guyana’s future; they are our responsibility today. Let us move beyond expressions of outrage and translate policies into protection, concern into action and education into a daily demonstration of respect for every child. No child should be left to face bullying alone. The time for collective and decisive action is now.

Yours faithfully,

Royston King

Chairman

Mindful Guyana Inc.

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• Bullies, bullying, Letters, Mindful Guyana Inc.

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