untitled

Photo by Okove Henry: Isabell Dalley with students of Merlene Ottey High School.

The ‘End Bullying Globally Campaign’ directed its focus to the Merlene Ottey High School in Hanover, delivering the message of ending  bullying by teaching students the principle of self-respect. Raymond Pryce, the former member of parliament for North East St Elizabeth is the co-chairman of the Campaign. He encouraged students to be an exception to the bullying that he says is the norm in Jamaica. Pryce urged students to embrace and adopt a sense of self-worth which will function as an example to their peers in his delivery to the students of Merlene Ottey High School on October 18, 2016.

The ‘End Bullying Globally Campaign’ was started by the Le Antonio’s Foundation which is a Jamaican nationally registered, non-profitable organization founded in December 2013. The campaign was kicked off in January 2016. According to the first national study done on bullying by the Child Development Agency (CDA), 60-65 percent of students have been bullied at some time in their lives. According to that same study titled “Investigating the Prevalence and Impact of Peer Abuse (Bullying) on the Development of Jamaica’s Children”,200 million children and youth globally are being abused by their peers on an annual basis.  The aim of the campaign is to eradicate the cases of bullying that takes place in schools by restructuring the value system of students, especially those who bully others.

According to the study bullying can be defined as unwanted, aggressive behaviour among children in school that is intended to harm the victim and involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.  The study commissioned by CDA,  highlighted that children who are at risk of being bullied include those who are perceived as different from their peers; perceived as weak or unable to defend themselves.  2016 Miss Universe Jamaica Isabel Dalley who was also in attendance at Merlene Ottey High School encouraged  students to be strong and stand up against bullying as they are not alone in the fight. She posited that a lot of people have experienced bullying throughout their lives and that being victim of bullying doesn’t make a person any less capable of achieving of being what they strive to be.

Bullying is an art form that has roots deep within our society and culture. We lack not only self-respect but also respect for those we see around us. The  End Bullying Globally Campaign is an avenue through which we can reach are children and instill values that is needed in our society even as adults.