Protocols for dealing with bullying to be offered to Education Ministry

By Jenique Belgrave

The Ministry of Education is to be presented with a draft document that can guide its efforts to stamp out bullying in the nation’s schools.

Chief Executive Officer of Supreme Counselling for Personal Development Shawn Clarke disclosed that his organisation has been working over the past year on the 23-page Protocols on Preventing Bullying in Barbados’ Schools.

“I want to submit this to the Ministry of Education for its perusal and consideration, and hopefully it will go as far as the Parliament of Barbados to be ratified so that all schools will be governed by the protocols on how to manage bullying,” the head of the non-profit, non-governmental organisation told Barbados TODAY on Thursday.

Contained in the protocols are responses for each stakeholder, including students, teachers, principals and parents, to instances of bullying.

“When it comes to parents, we are asking them to support their children and the schools by watching for signs of distress or unusual behaviours in their children that may be evidence of bullying. 

“We also look at the procedures of dealing with instances of bullying behaviour as we find some principals are unsure of exactly how to do this. So, we outline how they should proceed, including what type of language should be used in confronting the bully,” explained Clarke whose organisation has implemented the Olweus Bullying Prevention Programme in some of the island’s schools.

He added that while he wanted to see the protocols utilised in schools, the entire country must be involved. 

“I hope the document will be given serious consideration as the issue is something that we all have to work together on. It is not one school’s problem and not the next, or a Ministry [of Education] problem or a government problem, but Barbados’ problem. 

“Until we realise that we have to attack this as a collective where all adults must be singing from the same hymn sheet, then we are going to continue to see an increase in bullying and a deterioration in the moral fibre of Barbados,” Clarke said.

He reported that his organisation was contacted daily by frustrated parents and principals seeking assistance in tackling bullying.

“I have seen an increase and also heard of an increase, as principals from several secondary schools and two primary schools have reached out to ask me recently to implement the Olweus Bullying Prevention Programme at their schools because they too have seen an increase in bullying. I have received and continue to receive numerous voice notes and messages from parents of their [children] being bullied
and they are not seeming to get any level of satisfaction,” Clarke said. 

He stressed the country must take the situation seriously, especially in light of the increasing instances of violence on school compounds, which stem from bullying.

jeniquebelgrave@barbadostoday.bb