The territory continues to battle the prevalence of bullying that happens right under our noses. The young generation, despite of youthfulness and innocence, also suffers from this unacceptable act that should be treated as a huge issue of the schools. To eliminate this maltreatment that plants fears and trauma in the hearts of the children, Guidance Counselor for the Alexandrina Maduro, Francis Lettsome and Willard Wheatley Primary Schools in the East End Community of Tortola, Shunice A. Leonard, prepared strategies to finally solve the problem.
“Bullying is a serious issue that affects our school aged children in the BVI and they were several students that had reported to me that they were fearful of staying in their classrooms. They were also fearful because they were being bullied by others on campus and not only in their classrooms,” said Leonard.
Leonard concluded that to eliminate bullying she laid the techniques in three main ways: Classroom Guidance, then the Door Decorating Contest and a march, where the Willard Wheatley Primary School has spread awareness by showcasing signs and placards with a theme “Be a Buddy not a Bully”.
“I also have students who reported to me that they were bullied on the internet which is cyber-bullying and I said ok, instead of dealing with these cases on an individual basis why not create a school wide programme. So I created this anti-bullying programme for my three schools across the border. So I came up with the Bully Free Awareness Week. It’s a week that started from March 2nd through March 6th. It entails three different parts; three initiatives,” Leonard explained.
The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) led and assisted the march, which comprised of the students and teachers wearing a mutual shirt designed with heart that also stated the march’s theme. The procession started at the playground to the streets of East end Tortola. After the march was an event where poems, songs and interactive messages from Showtime Band Members ‘Drastic’ and Eustace ‘Boss’ Freeman were the highlights.
Island Manager Mr. Lennon G. DaBreo of Delta Petroleum BVI, one of the event sponsors was as well present to give a remarkable speech for the crowd. While, victims of bullying were also given the opportunity to stand up and conquer the stage and offered songs and poems about bullying.
Ms. Leonard, as part of the Classroom Guidance, went to each of the classrooms to interact with the students, where she heard their stories and educated them about bullying. “I heard their stories and answered their questions and I also, at the end of the discussion we had, asked them to make a pledge to help commit to creating a safe school going at their schools and on that pledge they made a commitment to respect themselves and others, lend a hand to others that are being bullied, report all forms of bullying as well as try to commit and stay committed to creating a safe school going at their respective schools and if they were willing, cause they were not forced, they signed the document and I kept it. Of course consequences will be given if they broke their pledges but so far I haven’t had any, but I’ve seen more persons, more students reporting they’re being bullied and so forth and I handled it on that individual basis,” she said.
The Door Decorating contest happened last Thursday March 5, where assigned students spruced up their classroom doors about bullying. Willard Wheatley Primary School got the first prize of gifts from Nagico Insurances, while the other participants received certificates of participation.
BVI Pushes The Battle With Bullying
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