Experts raise concerns over bullying in schools, social media use

Hyderabad: Citing disparity in socio-economic status as the main cause of bullying in schools, city-based psychologists said that the practice is leading to aggressive behaviour among victims to ward off potential threats. They said that it not only takes place in school but also in cyberspace, due to the increased use of social media by youngsters.

Dr Virinchi Sharma, a clinical psychiatrist, said, “Teenagers have now started calling themselves digital creators and influencers on social media. They are spending money from their parent’s credit card to buy followers as they are bullied for not having enough followers.”

With increased social media exposure, experts said that students create many fake accounts to target a particular peer. Besides, students whose posts or photos get fewer likes and those using filters on their photos are also made fun of.

Experts who work with private and international schools said that details ranging from the type of water bottle, the brand of school bag, number of pens and pencils, physical appearance and the vehicle a student travels in are made fun of by students of the schools.

“Bullying cases have gone up in the city. Sadly, they are more among teens and children aged 10-12 years. A 14-year-old boy who uses cochlear implants was bullied so badly by his classmates that he started behaving in an aggressive manner, so that they would not talk to him or come near him,” said Dr Anita A., a clinical psychologist in the city.

She said that students are impressionable and they subject their peers to taunts that they pick up from movies, which mostly pertain to body shaming. She said that bullying is considered fun and teachers are failing to control such instances.

“Parents need to teach their children about empathy and emotions, at least when they enter the second standard. Their emotional quotient is very less and they have to be guided. There must be such lessons taught in schools at least twice a week,” she said.

Sharma, discussing a recent case of a 15-year-old girl, said that she slipped into depression and developed anxiety issues as she was made fun of by her classmates for travelling in a particular car. “She did not like others observing her car and asked her parents to drop her off at least 200 metres before the school gate. The parents were shattered as they put in all their money to provide the best education to their child,” he said.

He said that the constant scrutiny causes trauma and depression among students, shattering their self-confidence and self-esteem for a long time. “Not all have the energy to deal with bullying and many of them cannot come out of trauma even after trying hard,” he said.